1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
an utterly numbing class in statistics
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freezing
having a low or subnormal temperature
the numbing air of that wintry morning
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of numbing
Peter Plagens, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2020
While traditional malatang broth is made from bone broth and is spicy and numbing, several places also offer vegetarian broths and non-spicy broths.
—Momo Chang, SFChronicle.com, 26 June 2020
Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
In 2016, researchers found that temporarily numbing both retinas could reverse vision loss from amblyopia, while a follow-up study in 2021 showed that numbing only the non-amblyopic eye could also improve vision in the weaker eye.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for numbing
Adjective
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
While traditional malatang broth is made from bone broth and is spicy and numbing, several places also offer vegetarian broths and non-spicy broths.
—Momo Chang, SFChronicle.com, 26 June 2020
Verb
My brain, dependent on the instant gratification of likes and replies, reliant on the numbing comfort of scrolling and clicking, and terrified of the prospect of being alone with its own thoughts, was plenty full of poison without another social-media platform being added to the mix.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
In 2016, researchers found that temporarily numbing both retinas could reverse vision loss from amblyopia, while a follow-up study in 2021 showed that numbing only the non-amblyopic eye could also improve vision in the weaker eye.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for numbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbing
Adjective
-
Some skyscrapers are quite uniform and rather boring.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Writing that’s as boring as your dullest relative was likely written by a chatbot that can’t see, hear, taste, smell, touch — or feel.—
Karen Stabiner,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Farther north, snow dusted Bologna and gave skiers in the Dolomites reason to cheer, though freezing temperatures are forecast for much of the north and central part of the peninsula over the coming days.—
Mike Corder,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Scenes from outside the federal building included opposing demonstrations, with some voicing support for Maduro and many others who bundled up in the freezing weather to applaud his arrest.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The plant will focus on advanced packaging, which involves combining multiple memory chips into a single, high-density unit to improve performance and energy efficiency while reducing overall size.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
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The team achieved a 20 percent reduction in turbine weight per megawatt compared to the industry average, assisting with installation while also reducing costs.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When Jensen was tiring of running her own business, her little brother did her the same favor of helping her land a job with the cannabis dispensary From The Earth at their Brookside location, where she was quickly hired and loved by her coworkers.—
PJ Green
January 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
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Although Richardson has only appeared in 25 of the 36 contests so far in his rookie campaign, the near first-half of his first year as a professional has been tiring for the 20-year-old who’s continued to adjust to his new life in Orlando.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Viewer photos show empty shelves at Walmart and Target locations as shoppers plan for meals that don't require power, stock up on food for their kids, and prepare to avoid icy roads altogether.—
Nicole Nielsen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Thousands of crashes and hundreds of fatalities happen each year on snowy or icy pavement.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And Chinese exporters diverted flows through Southeast Asia and Mexico, dulling the effects of tariffs even as headline restrictions intensified.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
31 Dec. 2025
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For deeper skin tones, Samo Spritzer offers a muted rosy mauve that sculpts without dulling the skin, while Feliz Fresca delivers high-impact pink pigment that stays saturated all day.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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But there is something cold and impersonal about assessing the moral gravity of human extinction in terms of the loss of wellbeing of all who would then not exist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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Wednesday in the Philadelphia region will be another brutally cold morning with lows in the teens in the city, reaching the single digits in many spots.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 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 25 Jan. 2026.
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