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
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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
as in deadening
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dulling
Karen Ostergren, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
Instead of softener, add half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to naturally soften towels and remove detergent residue without dulling the color.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Together, these ingredients create a gentle, yet powerful, solution that restores shine to stainless steel without dulling its finish.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2025
In parts of Southeast Asia, totality will begin as the full moon rises, dulling the effect.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Soaring temperatures and drought also sends trees into stress, dulling the experience of fall foliage.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 2 Sep. 2025
Many parents struggle with how to support adult children without dulling their drive or setting unrealistic expectations.
—Bob Sponseller, The Enquirer, 26 Aug. 2025
While opioids primarily work by dulling sensations in the brain, the new drug, in fifty milligram oral tablets, is reported to reduce pain by targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving a specific sodium channel in the peripheral nervous system, before the pain signals reach the brain.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Astaxanthin protects skin against dulling environmental aggressors but it’s also packed with various antioxidant vitamins (C and E), highly moisturizing squalane, redness-reducing centella asiatica, exfoliating lactic acid and CoQ10, another antioxidant with powerful protective properties.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
In Party of Two—the fifth novel in a series featuring the same group of friends—the protagonist, Olivia, has to navigate the spotlight that comes with dating a senator without dulling her own ambitions.
—Karen Ostergren, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
Instead of softener, add half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to naturally soften towels and remove detergent residue without dulling the color.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Together, these ingredients create a gentle, yet powerful, solution that restores shine to stainless steel without dulling its finish.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2025
In parts of Southeast Asia, totality will begin as the full moon rises, dulling the effect.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Soaring temperatures and drought also sends trees into stress, dulling the experience of fall foliage.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 2 Sep. 2025
Many parents struggle with how to support adult children without dulling their drive or setting unrealistic expectations.
—Bob Sponseller, The Enquirer, 26 Aug. 2025
While opioids primarily work by dulling sensations in the brain, the new drug, in fifty milligram oral tablets, is reported to reduce pain by targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving a specific sodium channel in the peripheral nervous system, before the pain signals reach the brain.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Astaxanthin protects skin against dulling environmental aggressors but it’s also packed with various antioxidant vitamins (C and E), highly moisturizing squalane, redness-reducing centella asiatica, exfoliating lactic acid and CoQ10, another antioxidant with powerful protective properties.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 17 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dulling
Verb
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The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
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The firm’s post-weave colorization system preserves the authentic look, feel, and durability of conventional denim while drastically reducing environmental impact.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Laundress Whites Detergent really boosts the brightness of everything—and no yellowish tint that often comes from bleaching clothes.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
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More than that, the YouTuber decided to rid her face of eyebrows, bleaching the hairs above her eyes to match the hue of her hair.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many shutdowns have largely played out over the weekend, blunting the impact, according to the CRFB.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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That action led the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to issue a landmark ruling in June blunting the power of judges.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to researcher and photographer Roberto García-Roa, the vibrant pigments that butterflies once relied on to attract mates and hide from prey are now fading away as colorful tropical forests are replaced with monochrome infrastructure.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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The traditional distinctions between linear and streaming are fading away for sports, however.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some critics and documentary filmmakers say that mandate is reductive and numbing.—
Michael Powell,
New York Times,
25 Sep. 2022
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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
Verb
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Now, Sora 2 might just be another online fad, a reality-deadening distraction that people will soon tire of.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Thin sound deadening The Enabling Technology prize went to CompositeEdge GmbH and ATA Mute BV for a new kind of sound deadening.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sitake says the most rewarding team meetings are discussions around the smallest of gestures, brightening the days of others.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Writers need time to get to know their stars’ strengths, even if those stars have been brightening our screens for decades.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Schultz also slow-walked the trial use of the fast-acting anesthetic ketamine by paramedics, who were able to administer only four doses in six months under his stewardship.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
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Dental surgeon William Thomas Green Morton saw the case as the perfect opportunity to test his anesthetic breathing apparatus in the hospital’s amphitheater.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dulling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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