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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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years of physical and emotional abuse had rendered the woman numb and withdrawn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
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
But, some people can feel numb after achieving major goals in life.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Apr. 2025
Ice can numb the area, which helps block pain signals and prevent swelling.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for numb
Adjective
And then all of a sudden, my lips go completely numb.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
But, some people can feel numb after achieving major goals in life.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
And, not for nothing, but even the relative passivity of television isn’t safe from the numbing glut of streaming content.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Apr. 2025
Ice can numb the area, which helps block pain signals and prevent swelling.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for numb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numb
Adjective
-
Since late March, ocean freight rates have largely remained level to both U.S. coasts, largely due to the blank sailings cancelling out the collapse in imports.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
12 May 2025
-
The 17 confirmed blank sailings in May alone are equivalent to 225,000 fewer 20-foot equivalent units of cargo, or TEUs.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
Researchers say that because boys still face the expectation to be stoic, their struggles more often show up in their behavior.—
Claire Cain Miller,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
-
Josh Duhamel portrays Staten Kirkland, a stoic rancher fighting to save his family’s land and legacy in the Netflix drama series Ransom Canyon.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Over time, that disconnection can dull natural hunger cues, making skipped meals feel normal.—
Christine Michel Carter,
Parents,
20 May 2025
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Nothing is worse than getting partway into a craft project and getting all your pieces ready, only for your cheap, dulled scissors to destroy the edge of your fabric or paper.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
When the children are asleep, Charlotte and Raffi can grab the baby monitor and hop the balcony wall to their friends’ house.—
Rhaina Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2025
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One of them is asleep, actually, or maybe dead already?—
Allegra Leal,
New Yorker,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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One night at dinner, my daughter whispered to me that the empty bread basket was a bummer.—
Lauren Mechling,
Vogue,
19 May 2025
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Panthers come up empty on early power plays Minimal action at the net through the first 13 minutes, although Florida did have two power plays — both of which Toronto killed off.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Three Palestinians in Gaza told Reuters early on Monday afternoon that there had been calm since midday, with no sound of drones or warplanes.—
James Mackenzie,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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In a moment when the joyously plural expressions of being American are funnelled down to a single dominant script, the careful, considered, globally-oriented, calm Leo XIV is unlikely to fulfil the aspirations of MAGA loyalists to a showdown, a culture war or an open conflict.—
Anna Rowlands,
Time,
12 May 2025
Verb
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An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by at least 7.6 million from the Medicaid changes, and possibly more with other changes to the Affordable Care Act.—
Kevin Freking,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
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In Sacramento, California, the weather service warned its office would have reduced staffing overnight.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Now, Europe is faced with a U.S. government that is at best apathetic and at worst antagonistic and that appears set on unilaterally shifting the burden of the continent’s security onto its European allies, who must reorganize to fill the gaps.—
Sophia Besch,
Foreign Affairs,
5 May 2025
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No one wants to go on bad dates; few people think of themselves as apathetic conversationalists.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Numb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numb. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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