1
as in reduces
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 fades
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
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Recent Examples of dulls
This dulls blades much faster and can also cause scratches and nicks.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
His muscles waste, his mind dulls, his body collapses inward until only a voice remains, thin and disembodied.
—Gilberto Lopes, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
The repetition dulls whatever voltage the pairing once carried.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
Yes, the glossy aesthetic occasionally dulls the impact of the director’s more tactile sensibilities, and a few script contrivances stretch believability.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Grounding Is the Way Back Too much technical connection dulls intuition; many leaders describe their clearest thinking happening away from screens.
—C200, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Insisting on noninterference, Beijing offers foreign leaders capital and legitimacy without requiring transparency, human rights safeguards, or competitive elections—a model that strengthens incumbents and dulls democratic accountability.
—Jane Harman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
None of that dulls the original game, nor its portrayal of Alma.
—Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Its influence ricocheted through decades of homages, from Madonna to Ryan Gosling, proof that a perfect jewel-box tableau never dulls.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
His muscles waste, his mind dulls, his body collapses inward until only a voice remains, thin and disembodied.
—Gilberto Lopes, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
The repetition dulls whatever voltage the pairing once carried.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
Yes, the glossy aesthetic occasionally dulls the impact of the director’s more tactile sensibilities, and a few script contrivances stretch believability.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Grounding Is the Way Back Too much technical connection dulls intuition; many leaders describe their clearest thinking happening away from screens.
—C200, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Insisting on noninterference, Beijing offers foreign leaders capital and legitimacy without requiring transparency, human rights safeguards, or competitive elections—a model that strengthens incumbents and dulls democratic accountability.
—Jane Harman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
None of that dulls the original game, nor its portrayal of Alma.
—Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Its influence ricocheted through decades of homages, from Madonna to Ryan Gosling, proof that a perfect jewel-box tableau never dulls.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dulls
Verb
-
By leveraging light to enhance oxygen electrochemistry, the approach reduces energy losses and extends device lifetime without relying on precious metals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The hostage standoff ultimately reduces both men into victims, revealing where power really lies.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Finally, the nebula fades away and only a white dwarf is left behind.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
City of London skyline with 20 Fenchurch Street, affectionately nicknamed the Walkie Talkie as light fades at dusk on 27th November 2025 in London, United Kingdom.—
Hugh Leask,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This is the type of consistency that numbs fans from their love of the game.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Cold water immersion constricts blood vessels, reduces swelling, numbs sore areas, and flushes lactic acid from the muscles.—
Outside,
Outside,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
His owner, Hannah Gleason from Oklahoma, told Newsweek that the merle gene isn’t a coloring gene rather than a gene that bleaches the fur and causes lack of pigmentation which can lead to birth defects, blindness, deafness, or sometimes all three.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One Dozen Roses No flower brightens up February quite like a beautiful bouquet of roses.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The Olay Super Eye Serum brightens dark circles and firms the under-eye area, and it’s packed with nourishing ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, and amino peptide.—
Claire West,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This, in my opinion, diminishes that.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe, too, Giannis gets hurt again in March and his trade value diminishes a bit more.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cutting the International Affairs Budget (which includes USAID) weakens our global leadership and can leave preventable crises to become a problem later on.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That pattern weakens the polar vortex’s grip on cold air, allowing Arctic air to spill into the central and southern United States.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
By this decade, your body has started to naturally lose muscle mass, and putting on new muscle may be more difficult due to anabolic resistance, which blunts the muscle’s ability to respond to external stimuli like exercise and protein.—
Emma Loewe,
Outside,
1 Jan. 2026
-
For Sanders, landing and holding a blue-chip defensive back during a losing season is a massive recruiting win that blunts any narratives of recruits fleeing the program.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dulls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dulls. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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