1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
an utterly numbing class in statistics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freezing
having a low or subnormal temperature
the numbing air of that wintry morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
wait for the medication to numb your mouth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of numbing
Jon Bream, Star Tribune, 5 Feb. 2021
What’s most powerful in lending Mr. Toor’s paintings their emotive combination of fleeting, gossamer happiness and a semi-numbing societal oppression is his palette.
—Peter Plagens, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2020
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
This month asks you to sit in the confusion and uncertainty without numbing it or outsourcing your clarity to someone else’s gut instinct.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numbing
Adjective
Come winter, wide open spaces in Iowa are more numbing than even a hardy Minnesotan wants to experience.
—Jon Bream, Star Tribune, 5 Feb. 2021
What’s most powerful in lending Mr. Toor’s paintings their emotive combination of fleeting, gossamer happiness and a semi-numbing societal oppression is his palette.
—Peter Plagens, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2020
Verb
Regulars at Sichuan could choose from an expansive menu that included mouth-numbing Sichuan dishes, stir-fries and sizzling platters.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
This month asks you to sit in the confusion and uncertainty without numbing it or outsourcing your clarity to someone else’s gut instinct.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbing
Adjective
-
Supporting your bone health doesn’t have to be complicated or boring.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Halftime shows for many years were also fairly boring affairs.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
With bitter cold settling in across the Philadelphia area, people on both sides of the river were finding their own ways to deal with freezing temperatures — from bundling up to warming up from the inside.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cortina d’Ampezzo now sees 41 fewer freezing days annually than when the Games were first held there in 1956.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The system responded within milliseconds, fast enough to support real-time reactions such as pulling away from harmful contact or reducing applied force during interaction.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
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Republicans argued the bill would accomplish little in the way of reducing rates and would demonize utility executives.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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It's been a cold, tiring week, but the light at the end of the tunnel that is a Saturday at Ikea picking out lamp shades is finally within sight.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
6 Feb. 2026
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But studies have also shown that consuming caffeine before a mentally tiring task reduces the feeling of cognitive fatigue.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The rubber insole and bottom make for stable traction on icy and slushy surfaces, too.—
Olivia Dubyak,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
-
These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Here, in the eyes of the reluctant young scholar, was a vital antidote to the dulling effects of habit and routine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Older workers face forced plateaus as organizations hesitate to invest in workers over 50, assuming their time is limited, minds are dulling, and retirement is imminent.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Snow and cold conditions have become increasingly unreliable.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Built for extreme cold Corvus One for Cold Chain uses industrial-grade barcode scanners with precise control over focus and exposure, enabling reliable label capture even when barcodes are frosted, damaged, or low contrast.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public.—
Arne Carlson,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
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Now, Sora 2 might just be another online fad, a reality-deadening distraction that people will soon tire of.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Numbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbing. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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