cauterizing

verb

present participle of cauterize
as in reducing
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cauterizing Jhin says doctors can remove them by shaving, scraping, freezing or cauterizing them. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterizing
  1. reducing
  2. blunting
  3. dulling
  4. deadening
  5. diminishing
  6. weakening
  7. numbing
Verb
  • The new councilmember will face pressure to increase revenue and cut costs without reducing access to city services or compromising their quality.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The legislation would give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission greater authority over cryptocurrency trading while reducing the Securities and Exchange Commission's role in overseeing certain digital assets.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • Alaska could either add to the Democrats' majority, or deliver some relief to Republicans by blunting additional Democratic gains.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In theory, the clearinghouse would monitor the speed of AI growth without blunting the nation’s competitive advantage.
    — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of blunting
Verb
  • Essentially, the toothpaste gently smooths the area around the scratch, dulling its appearance—much like a gentle polish.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Extreme weather events, such as drought or heavy rainfall, also stress trees and can trigger them to rapidly protect themselves by more rapidly pulling in the chlorophyll from their leaves, dulling fall colors.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dulling
Verb
  • Inside the cabin, extensive additional sound deadening in the doors, trunk and wheel arches means phone calls and passenger conversations are entirely effortless at highway speeds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of deadening
Verb
  • Kikuchi makes Haru’s occasionally mortifying romantic pursuit both funny and affecting, embracing the character’s impulsive, sometimes ridiculous behavior without diminishing the depth of her loss.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The good news is that its strongest winds and heaviest rain will remain over the Atlantic, with impacts along our coastline gradually diminishing.
    — Kate Bilo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishing
Verb
  • The victory came after a Republican redistricting effort aimed at weakening Latino voting power backfired.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • And the indicators tell you whether those conditions are strengthening or weakening.
    — Allison Mais, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Providers usually make three to four quick injections along the lower part of the muscle, sometimes with numbing cream or a vibrating tool, then apply ice.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This one, steeped in milk and cream, sparks off the roof of your mouth with a gentle chile burn and the pleasantly numbing zap of cloves.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of numbing

Browse Nearby Words

cauterizes
cauterizing
caution
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Cite this Entry

“Cauterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterizing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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