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years of physical and emotional abuse had rendered the woman numb and withdrawn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
Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
Over time, your extremities go numb, which indicates the beginning of frostbite.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Unable to face any news in which children are harmed, Maria begins isolating herself and increasingly chooses to numb herself with alcohol and drugs.
—David Tucker, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numb
Adjective
The roof is a manual Sky Slider design that feels a lot more on-brand than a numb push-button.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
Over time, your extremities go numb, which indicates the beginning of frostbite.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Symptoms can include a desire to tune out for a spell, stick your head in an ice bucket, or find another way to numb the senses.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Unable to face any news in which children are harmed, Maria begins isolating herself and increasingly chooses to numb herself with alcohol and drugs.
—David Tucker, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for numb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numb
Adjective
-
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
-
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,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The fight is over quaint philosophical concepts such as legacy, standards, inspiration, talent, and whether any of those things actually play into channeling the divine onto a blank canvas.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If Anže Kopitar, the Kings’ leading scorer on both of their Cup runs and in franchise history, was understated and hesitant to embrace the spotlight, Quick was outwardly stoic and practically shunned attention.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
This movie is basically Sisu meets Fury Road as our stoic protagonist tries to take his entire home somewhere safe on a huge truck, fending off tanks, planes, and more.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite its stellar cast, the cumbersome plot dulls the comedic beats that would otherwise be razor-sharp.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps the avalanche of artificial intelligence has dulled our capacity to be amazed by space technology.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My 13-year-old is finally asleep.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The Masters champ sought help in 2017 after his first DUI arrest, also in the Jupiter are after police found Woods asleep at the wheel in a running car.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nick Seeler added an empty-net goal to complete the scoring.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The founder of Shannon Adamson Interior Design in Seattle, the designer installed sliding racks that fit perfectly in the empty space between the washer/dryer and nearby countertops.—
Lindsey Mather,
Architectural Digest,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The feature is set in British Columbia, largely in the span of a summer during the nineteen-nineties, in a calm residential suburb on the ruggedly alluring Vancouver Island.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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This is altered by telehealth, which allows patients to start this delicate procedure in a calm, secure and private setting.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Smith said after talking to Gregg, Wheels Up reduced the price to $850, but storage fees for having the car since April 1 bring the grand total to at least $2,600.—
Liz Crawford,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Much like Vietnam, only a lot faster, the American war in Iran has reduced itself to saving face.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Numb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numb. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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