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
The evening signaled that this is not the type of show that will deaden an artist behind glass vitrines.
—
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Considerable resources were devoted to acoustics that deaden the train noise from the outside.
—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for deaden
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Considerable resources were devoted to acoustics that deaden the train noise from the outside.
—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for deaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deaden
Verb
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Kirk had disappeared from their feeds, and Erika Kirk had gone viral for the wrong reasons—taking the stage at her husband’s memorial service amid pyrotechnics and attempting her own campus tour, undermining her image as a Christian trad wife whose priorities were her family and her home.
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Over his 18-year tenure at the Fed, Greenspan embodied the omnipotent technocrat — a legacy critics say was fatally undermined by his failure to spot the 2008 housing bubble.
Verb
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New flyover ramps connecting to I-95 would also be built, while sound barriers would be installed along both sides of the corridor to help reduce traffic noise for nearby residents.
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The rich treatment balances strengthening plant proteins with nourishing rosehip and sweet almond oils to reduce breakage and replenish moisture.
Verb
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Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.
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All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.
Verb
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The danger is heavy-handed protections for Eskom will suppress wholesale prices, dulling market signals investors need for further investment in the sector, and effectively rebranding the old monopoly.
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Fabric softener leaves a residue on elastane fibers that can dull the finish and attract bacteria, which causes excessive odor.
Verb
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Her blood loss was reportedly so severe that the hospital exhausted its supply of her blood type during treatment.
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Jones countered with more than $25 million from his own family fortune, fueling a contest that left both candidates bruised and voters exhausted.
Verb
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With heat-sensitive fabrics like wool or polyester, dampen a cotton pressing cloth and place it on top of the clothing, then iron.
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To make the cardboard more appealing to composting worms, dampen and shred it before adding it to the bin, and combine it with another type of substrate, such as some garden soil or damp coconut coir.
Verb
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The hotel’s wellness center offers Ayurvedic herbal scrubs, Reiki, hydrotherapy, lymphatic draining massages, colonics and acupuncture.
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Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Verb
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The weight that was added to the structure over its lifetime diminished the building’s margins against failure, the report said.
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Louden points out that sometimes an English word strengthens and diversifies the Pennsylvania Dutch lexicon rather than diminishes it.
Cite this Entry
“Deaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deaden. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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