1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
an excess of detail deadens much of the mystery novel's suspense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a couple of aspirins deadened the headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deaden
Schjerfbeck also liked the way Degas bleached his pastels to deaden their tone.
—
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public.
—Arne Carlson, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
Our default options provide shelter for a fraction of those who need it and at the same time deaden streets, crowd the sky, and anger neighbors.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Dec. 2025
Rather than slash and swing away after spotting the play, Stott tried to get the ball down and deaden it, increasing the level of difficulty.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaden
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public.
—Arne Carlson, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
Our default options provide shelter for a fraction of those who need it and at the same time deaden streets, crowd the sky, and anger neighbors.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Dec. 2025
Rather than slash and swing away after spotting the play, Stott tried to get the ball down and deaden it, increasing the level of difficulty.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deaden
Verb
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And Wright will need to explain how the administration’s latest emergency measure to keep oil flowing, a temporary sanctions waiver on Iran itself, won’t undermine US military objectives.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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From a consumer standpoint, the denial of being able to watch preferred games on account of college football broadcast exclusivity undermines fan interests.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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Gold has been one of the better-performing assets over the past year, and when markets get choppy, leveraged funds and institutional investors tend to reduce exposure.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Continuous support could theoretically weaken muscles, so experts advise mixing exo use with traditional ergonomics and exercise.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That all unfortunately overshadows the palpable affection Gosling and Emma Stone have in their second of three movie romances, and even Gosling’s playboy charisma gets dulled a bit.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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And then the steakhouse’s growth spurt dulled.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Consideration for a draft would only begin after exhausting troops on the ground with the country's active-duty military personnel, such as full-time professional military, including National Guard and Reserves, and any volunteers or enlistees who join after the war begins.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
25 Mar. 2026
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In addition to exhausting reporters and scrambling the news cycle, episodes like this have fueled speculation that people close to the president are feeding off the chaos.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But a shortage of foreign workers is dampening the mood.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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The Yankees won 3-2 that day, but that hardly dampened our hopes for the season and our new superstar.—
Raymond Daniel Burke,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Knueppel nearly recorded his first career triple-double, posting 26 points along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, draining 6 of 10 shots beyond the arc.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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Schedule a brief meeting to set fair deadlines so people understand how to support your goals without draining your reserves.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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How diminished will their opportunities for success be in the real world?—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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Lightning is diminishing over shipping lanes as a result of the use of cleaner fuel.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deaden. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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