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
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
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
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
In trauma psychology, emotional numbing is often seen as part of a survival response rather than an adaptive emotional state.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for numbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbing
Adjective
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Endless gastronomic delights, diverse architecture, and neighborhoods packed with character ensure visitors have everything but a boring trip to the large coastal metropolis.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
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Who says neutrals have to be boring?—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Fern simultaneously paralyzed both DFW and Charlotte, American’s two largest hubs, with ice and freezing rain.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The freezing cold temperatures that iced out ponds over the last few weeks is good news for some boaters in Massachusetts.—
Alyssa Andrews,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Once in place, this will allow staff to care for guests’ most delicate garments while reducing harmful emissions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
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The weapon can also fly more than 45 miles to strike mobile targets, reducing the amount of time that aircrews spend in harm’s way.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Imagine having all your bags unpacked, slipping into a robe and getting ready to take a long, hot shower at the end of a tiring day, only to realize that your showerhead is broken or the hot water isn’t heating appropriately.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
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And while the offense was flowing, the defense was suffocating a quickly tiring San Jose State squad.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The bodies of eight had been left on the icy mountainside, and a final member of the group was still missing, presumed dead among the blanket of snow.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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An awkward moment between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at an AI Summit Thursday captured the increasingly icy relations between two rival tech leaders who started off as colleagues.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are gobs of money to be made selling enterprise software, but dulling the impact of AI is also a useful feint.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The Gophers and Ducks were both ice cold in the first half, with the U holding an unsightly 22-13 lead.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Antarctic Ocean is heavily layered, or stratified, to a depth of around 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) because of conflicting properties including colder, denser water from below not readily mixing with fresh water running off melting ice from above.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
18 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 23 Feb. 2026.
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