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years of physical and emotional abuse had rendered the woman numb and withdrawn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
Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Relationships often suffer as people withdraw or feel emotionally numb.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
Ethan Stone, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The 25-minute, full-face treatment involves numbing and is highly tolerable, with one to two days of mild redness.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numb
Adjective
Because the face is numb for a time following surgery, patients don’t feel the sutures in their skin, even as they’re being removed.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Relationships often suffer as people withdraw or feel emotionally numb.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
After ensuring the donor area is properly numbed, the medical team will remove individual hair grafts one by one with tiny punches.
—Ethan Stone, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The 25-minute, full-face treatment involves numbing and is highly tolerable, with one to two days of mild redness.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 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
-
There’s a weird family portrait with a blank spot for Nicky’s future wife.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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If portions of the page appear blank and an ad blocker is enabled, please disable the ad blocker and refresh the page to ensure full access to the content.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And even as his father stood stoic on the sideline, the arena felt the emotional weight of the moment.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
-
And center Jake Slaughter was, well, as stoic as the All-American has ever been.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And even supporters of the systems say searchers can become dulled by a multitude of false alarms and miss the few actual weapons.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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That all unfortunately overshadows the palpable affection Gosling and Emma Stone have in their second of three movie romances, and even Gosling’s playboy charisma gets dulled a bit.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in 2017 after being found asleep in a car that had its motor running and was still in a driving lane.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
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This can have an impact on falling (and staying) asleep, as well as sleep quality.—
Desireé Oostland,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Her home had been a house of mourning, a symbol of resilience, a family cornerstone, and now—bright shock—the empty scene of an unseen crime.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Police searched the house and found a Powerade bottle that was largely empty, but contained some residue at the bottom.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The beach is flat–just right for soccer or throwing a football–and the water is usually fairly calm and great for taking out a standup paddleboard or a surfboard.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
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The mix of calm bordeaux and vibrant green makes for interesting styling indeed.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Protective styles like low buns or braids can also reduce frizz throughout the day.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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In her tenure, Colorado has taken major steps to increase price transparency, reduce hospital and prescription drug costs, and hold the health care industry accountable.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Numb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numb. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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