1
as in numbed
lacking in sensation or feeling
I've been sitting in the same position for too long and now my feet are numb
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blank
not expressing any emotion
apparently in shock, he answered the police officer's questions with a numb expression on his face
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3
as in stoic
not feeling or showing emotion
years of physical and emotional abuse had rendered the woman numb and withdrawn
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as in to dull
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
wait for the medication to numb your mouth
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of numb
Philip Elliott, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
For a split second, my hearing went numb.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Emotional numbing symptoms, in particular, are known to intensify this pattern of reacting sharply to negative stimuli and then shutting down emotionally.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numb
Adjective
In a city already numb to Trump’s capricious moves, this one still left everyone doing a double-take.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
For a split second, my hearing went numb.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
There seems every chance that the atmosphere will be similarly subdued on Sunday, not least because so many Spurs fans are currently gripped by a numbing apathy at the state of their club and have lost patience with Frank.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Emotional numbing symptoms, in particular, are known to intensify this pattern of reacting sharply to negative stimuli and then shutting down emotionally.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numb
Adjective
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When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Two were blank, one was out of focus and two showed police officers.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The brand’s trefoil logo is embroidered in gold at the forefoot, but the mule is otherwise blank in terms of outward branding.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Our analysis showed how often extreme fitness narratives, hustle culture and emotionally stoic ideals are surfaced to audiences.—
Stuart A. Spencer,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
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As the conflicted Wahida, Abbas takes the film’s stoic center, shading the character in such a way that her dilemma becomes the audience’s main focus.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At its core, though, authenticity suggests experiences that feel genuine rather than manufactured—places where daily life unfolds naturally, traditions aren’t staged for visitors, and commercial gloss hasn’t dulled a destination’s character.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Mary Gingles opened a neighbor’s unlocked door; the resident, Andrew Ferrin, was asleep in his bed.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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As evidence, the prosecution submitted a video of the woman in bed, allegedly filmed by Høiby himself while the woman was asleep.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Sage Hill has been trying to knock off Mater Dei for years and come up empty.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
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The UConn athletic department acted fast after coach Dan Hurley – and Georgetown coach Ed Cooley – commented on the lack of enthusiasm from the home crowd and some empty seats at men’s basketball games this season.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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De-escalate using calm leadership to keep discussions productive and focused.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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The day will remain mostly sunny, with calm winds.—
Adam Del Rosso,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Upon his arrival, Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison on earlier corruption convictions, a term swiftly reduced to one year following a royal pardon.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Cutting convoy risk Army planners see cargo drones as a way to reduce dependence on traditional resupply convoys.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Numb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numb. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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