dumbing

present participle of dumb
as in shushing
to stop the noise or speech of the terrible news dumbed her for a long moment, and then she burst into tears

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbing
Verb
  • Booing begins, and then shushing, and then booing again.
    Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Or unintentionally silencing voices and limiting possibilities?
    Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • In a prerecorded message, Lee said silencing a voice cannot silence an idea and urged attendees to carry on Kirk’s mission.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And Democrats will remain the side fond of muting dissent.
    Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Echo chambers can emerge, amplifying consensus while muting dissenting expertise.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Tresemmé Lamellar Gloss Finishing Oil is what stands between you and shampoo-ad levels of shine, locking in luster and quieting frizz with its mix of sunflower, coconut, and macadamia oils.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Nine of those points came in a 16-0 third quarter run that turned a seven-point deficit into a 61-52 lead heading to the fourth, quieting the packed house in San Francisco’s Chase Center.
    Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Jalen Suggs was starting at shooting guard before settling in at point guard before the playoffs.
    Law Murray, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The singer-songwriter, 35, and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 36 — whose garden proposal took place over the summer after recording their New Heights podcast episode — are still settling into their new engagement status.
    Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Dumbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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