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deadens

verb

present tense third-person singular of deaden
1
as in undermines
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 reduces
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling a couple of aspirins deadened the headache

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 deadens Oppressively hot, lie-down-and-take-a-nap hot, hydration-break hot, the kind of hot that deadens feet. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadens
  1. undermines
  2. reduces
  3. weakens
  4. dulls
  5. exhausts
  6. numbs
  7. drains
  8. diminishes
Verb
  • His silly walk undermines not only his dignified wardrobe but also the very idea of a professional persona.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That undermines the important fight against genuine antisemitism.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • Where appropriate, allowing patients to schedule routine appointments also reduces unnecessary back-and-forth with the practice.
    — Ajay Prasad, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than mine the archive wholesale, Icons reduces recognizable Borgo signatures to their foundations, preserving the rigor while shifting their expression.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of reduces
Verb
  • Chronic diseases become more common, and resistance to infection weakens.
    — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When one of those systems weakens, there is a knock-on effect that ripples into the workplace – and not always in a good way.
    — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • But Aroonpheng’s worldbuilding is arcane to a fault, with no thanks to a weirdly flat rhythm that dulls the excitement of the film’s many narrative swerves.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Detergent, minerals, and everyday grime can cling to the fibers, creating a film that dulls their appearance.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dulls
Verb
  • If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • The slime of some species also numbs an attacker’s tongue, protecting them from predators.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • This is the type of consistency that numbs fans from their love of the game.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of numbs
Verb
  • While voters’ choices have been, more often than not, defensible, the unanimity betrays a lack of imagination and drains any hint of drama from the ceremony.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Beijing is quite happy, for now at least, to watch as the US drains its treasure policing the world’s sea lanes, keeping transnational drug gangs and fraudsters in check, and maintaining global financial stability.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • The governor’s effective yield to Harris diminishes the possibility of a showdown between two of California’s most powerful political figures in an election whose stakes are viewed by the Democratic Party as existential.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • If those are important to you, that diminishes the credit's value.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminishes

Browse Nearby Words

deadening
deadens
deadhead
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Cite this Entry

“Deadens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadens. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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