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years of physical and emotional abuse had rendered the woman numb and withdrawn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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as in apathy
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
the prisoner exhibited the numbness of someone who had spent more years behind bars than he could remember
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of numb
Charna Flam, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Similarly, the seat was quite firm and left us numb after longer runs.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Rosanna Sutherby, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2025
The Massachusetts native poignantly opens up about her trials and tribulations along the way, dealing with numbing heartbreak and being the victim of domestic abuse.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for numb
Adjective
She was allegedly administered lidocaine injections, which are commonly used as a local anesthetic to numb specific areas, per the Mayo Clinic.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Similarly, the seat was quite firm and left us numb after longer runs.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Verb
Breaking, chewing, dissolving, cutting, or crushing the capsules can result in numbing of the mouth and throat and a risk of choking.
—Rosanna Sutherby, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2025
The Massachusetts native poignantly opens up about her trials and tribulations along the way, dealing with numbing heartbreak and being the victim of domestic abuse.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 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 Yankees’ bullpen also kept the Rangers off the board, as Mark Leiter Jr., Devin Williams and Luke Weaver all threw blank innings in the low-scoring affair.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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As the Gilead flag burns, June is stoic amid the celebrating Mayday forces.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Set in and around Marseilles, this wild, weird body horror film centers on the seemingly stoic Alexia (Agathe Rousselle).—
Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo,
Footwear News,
26 May 2025
Verb
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These products can also cause buildup and dull your hair.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
26 May 2025
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The edge gap is the widening space between marketing strategies that sharpen a brand’s competitive edge and those dulled by algorithmic automation, uniform targeting and the rinse-and-repeat logic of platform and industry best practice.—
Liam Wade,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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This leads directly to apathy and alienation instead of civic engagement.—
John Avlon,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2025
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Most leaders assume that employees resist the company’s strategy out of apathy or stubbornness.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
21 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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American retailers cried foul and indicated Santa Claus’s sled would be empty.—
Bruce Yandle,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2025
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Companies that are serious about the future of work know that AI implementation without workforce enablement is an empty investment.—
Sol Rashidi,
Forbes.com,
31 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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But amid all of the tears and dancing and singing, from Freed From Desire on the pitch to Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten in the dressing room, stood one proud, calm man.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Verb
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With Bayern aiming to reduce their wage bill, the Wirtz signing would have come at the cost of at least an extra €20million (£16.8m, $22.7m) per year, on top of a transfer fee somewhere between €100m and €150m.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Their original sentences, which were 12 years and seven years, respectively, were reduced in September 2023.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Numb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numb. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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