cauterizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of cauterize
as in reduces
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling time had cauterized his bitterness, and he was willing to let bygones be bygones

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterizes
  1. reduces
  2. dulls
  3. numbs
  4. diminishes
  5. deadens
  6. blunts
  7. weakens
Verb
  • The anti-immigrant movement reduces kids to constitutional hypotheticals and demographic statistics.
    — Hannah Harshe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That gives Jaylen Warren a favorable matchup and reduces the need for Aaron Rodgers to force throws downfield.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduces
Verb
  • Monét sings prettily on both duets, but their conventionality dulls her shine.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Key Takeaways Airborne hydrogen sulfide dulls silver, so many pieces need regular cleaning.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dulls
Verb
  • The slime of some species also numbs an attacker’s tongue, protecting them from predators.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • This is the type of consistency that numbs fans from their love of the game.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of numbs
Verb
  • For Republicans, a lot rides on whether Tuesday’s balloting substantially diminishes their ranks.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Splitting such communities into multiple districts diminishes their representation in the democratic process.
    — Dan Lipinski, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • Oppressively hot, lie-down-and-take-a-nap hot, hydration-break hot, the kind of hot that deadens feet.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of deadens
Verb
  • The opinion blunts a major attack line Democrats have used, especially against Moody and Uthmeier.
    — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But Democrats are celebrating the decision, which blunts some of the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year allowing more coordinated spending between parties and candidates.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunts
Verb
  • This molten salt weakens the coating on the silicon panel, allowing the silver wires to peel off intact as pure metal.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Don’t optimize today’s economics in a way that weakens tomorrow’s leadership pipeline.
    — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

cauterized
cauterizes
cauterizing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cauterizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterizes. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of satiate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All