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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Blurring bamboo silk powders keep shine in check without dulling skin, while camellia seed oil and antioxidant-rich vitamin E help mature complexions look smooth, hydrated, and naturally luminous.
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Bitch, despite being created with Reed in tandem with My Face Hurts From Smiling, leans more pop and R&B with lyrics that may have been dulled down for palatability.
Verb
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For a country exhausted by notifications, that simplicity has become its own selling point.
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But mostly they were exhausted from balancing their teaching careers with single parenting.
Verb
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Short watering sessions only dampen the top layer, and the water evaporates quickly, leaving soil cracked and dry.
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While the decline in numbers has raised parent companies’ valuations, the slowdown has dampened the fundraising and exit environment for venture capital funds, said Lee Hyo-seob, senior research fellow at the think tank Korea Capital Market Institute in Seoul.
Verb
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Several environmental groups have also proposed removing or entirely bypassing the Glen Canyon Dam, draining what's left into Lake Mead, and implementing stricter water conservation measures.
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The president said that his administration would have to drain the pool and start over again as the new liner shed chunks of itself.
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 28 Jun. 2026.
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