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years of physical and emotional abuse had rendered the woman numb and withdrawn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
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But with a blank canvas on which to build a new version of Dedeaux Field, there was some upside.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
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The Treasury Department has placed its last order for blank pennies and plans to stop minting the one-cent coins as soon as that's exhausted.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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
-
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
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Tornadoes in the Southeastern U.S. are more likely to strike overnight, when people are asleep and cannot quickly protect themselves, which makes these events dramatically more dangerous.—
Daniel Chavas,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
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The vote was that close in part because Rep. Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican who would've voted to support it, was asleep at the time, House Speaker Mike Johnson said.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
22 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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The mad sorceress Eudoxia, Empress of Troy, has died, leaving the Serpent Throne empty.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Considered one of the state’s best beach towns, Biloxi is known for its picturesque sand and calm waters that are protected by barrier islands just south of the beach in the Gulf of Mexico.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
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The lender is navigating calmer seas at home, after Trump unveiled the broad outline of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal earlier this month and Britain scored another major win earlier this week through an agreement to reset its relationship with the EU after departing the bloc in 2020.—
Ruxandra Iordache,
CNBC,
22 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 28 May. 2025.
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