dulling 1 of 2

adjective

as in deadening

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

dulling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dull
1
as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the aspirin dulled his headache and he was soon feeling better

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleaching
to make white or lighter by removing color the painting's once-vivid colors have been dulled by time

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 dulling
Verb
Your diplomatic touch can set kind boundaries without dulling your warmth. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026 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. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 23 June 2026 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. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 15 June 2026 At some point, the bracket creep is going to overreach into the point of diminishing marginal returns — dulling regular seasons and perhaps ultimately even eventually interest in the postseasons. — Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026 Glycolic acid removes dead, dulling surface cells to reveal more radiant skin and help vitamin C penetrate skin more effectively. — ABC News, 19 May 2026 The al fresco dining area is covered with beige tents, dulling the landscape. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 1 May 2026 At Source puts seven years of joint practice and mutual magnetism to tape without dulling the dynamic buzz of their live sets. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 2 Mar. 2026 Also, don't store beans or ground coffee in the refrigerator—the coffee may absorb moisture and odors, dulling its flavor. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dulling
  1. numbing
  2. reducing
  3. bleaching
  4. anesthetic
  5. blunting
  6. fading
  7. settling
  8. deadening
Adjective
  • The result can appear not only as exhaustion, but also irritability, decreased concentration, emotional numbing, sleep disruption, and heightened anxiety.
    — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
  • Now after four years of ongoing horrors in Ukraine, and more than two years of watching slaughter and suffering in Gaza, the latest war filling our feeds is just another numbing form of content, a digital arena in which competing forces try to assert conflicting viewpoints.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of numbing
Verb
  • The legislation reflects the complexity of the crisis, combining a total of 47 proposals aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing costs and expanding access to affordable homes.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • The goal is to improve inspection quality while reducing the risks associated with labor-intensive maintenance work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
  • Justine Skye took this mousy brown look to the next level by bleaching her brows to match.
    — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 22 May 2026
Definition of bleaching
Adjective
  • Because there is a depersonalized, anesthetic quality to it.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026
  • Any anesthetic product used on the toad must contain 20% benzocaine or lidocaine.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
Definition of anesthetic
Verb
  • Greg Jaffe and Kate Kelly Politicians and officials in Mexico are using the country’s laws to intimidate critics and the media, forcing them into censorship and blunting scrutiny.
    — Kate Kelly Vincent Alban Paulina Villegas Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • The body adapts to the daily dose, blunting caffeine’s impact on blood pressure, mental alertness and exercise performance.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
Definition of blunting
Verb
  • Some hurricane windows can filter out up to 90% of ultraviolet rays, which protects your furniture, carpet, drapes and artwork from fading.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • The pattern is expected to prolong an unrelated existing marine heat wave off the coast of California, which otherwise would have been expected to start fading between October and December.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of fading
Adjective
  • Individuals who remain in the class and submit valid claims release their rights to sue Cargill or Tyson over the same allegations, but retain any rights against non-settling defendants.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of settling
Verb
  • Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.
    — Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
  • Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably.
    — John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of deadening

Browse Nearby Words

dulled
dulling
dullish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dulling. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dulling

Nglish: Translation of dulling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All