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
Relevance
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
1
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
an excess of detail deadens much of the mystery novel's suspense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a couple of aspirins deadened the headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in anesthetic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of deadening
Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Here was an invention no one had asked for, that promised to upend perfectly good industries while further deadening the American intellect and locking in place the political biases of post-Covid Biden-crats.
—Caroline Downey, National Review, 27 Mar. 2025
Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2025
Lightweight glass, a reduction of sound-deadening materials, and the marginally lighter 6-speed manual gearbox help the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet weigh 3,505 pounds—the company's lightest manual open-roof variant.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadening
Verb
She was shot three times at close range, with a blanket wrapped around the gun to deaden the sound.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Here was an invention no one had asked for, that promised to upend perfectly good industries while further deadening the American intellect and locking in place the political biases of post-Covid Biden-crats.
—Caroline Downey, National Review, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
To that end, Cadillac at least ramps up the sound deadening to improve NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) that an internal combustion engine might otherwise drown out.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2025
Lightweight glass, a reduction of sound-deadening materials, and the marginally lighter 6-speed manual gearbox help the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet weigh 3,505 pounds—the company's lightest manual open-roof variant.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadening
Adjective
-
Contributing conditions included the administration of multiple anesthetic medications.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
30 May 2025
-
Both the anesthetic and potential neuroprotective effects occur because xenon can bind to brain receptors called N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
For extra strength, search for analgesic throat lozenges, which contain additional pain-fighting ingredients like menthol or benzocaine.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
26 June 2025
-
One of the primary appeals of medical marijuana is its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Even Coldplay’s anodyne frontman Chris Martin couldn’t ignore their response.—
Steven Levy,
Wired News,
22 Aug. 2025
-
American Eagle will probably create a more anodyne campaign to follow this one.—
Richard Kestenbaum,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Some critics and documentary filmmakers say that mandate is reductive and numbing.—
Michael Powell,
New York Times,
25 Sep. 2022
-
Aside from being scientifically fascinating, the special effect of these peppercorns is also a key component of Sichuan cuisine’s greatest gift to the culinary world, a numbing and spicy flavor profile known as málà.—
Chala Tyson Tshitundu,
Bon Appétit,
29 Sep. 2021
Adjective
-
Their hypnotic live sessions and cultural performances have even earned them their own residency at the popular nightclub venue Hï Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
27 Aug. 2025
-
At Puri Saren Palace, dancers in gilded headdresses flick delicate wrists to the hypnotic clang of gamelan—a traditional Indonesian orchestra of gongs, metallophones, and bamboo flutes.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
According to a report, the man died after not receiving the proper care for his ALS and opiate withdrawal.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2025
-
Toward the end of Thursday’s questioning, the defense asked Ventura about the 2016 InterContinental hotel freak-off, where the video of Combs beating Ventura in a hallway came from, and tried to indicate Combs was going through opiate withdrawal at the time, The New York Times reported.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadening. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
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