1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

obtunding

verb

present participle of obtund
as in baffling

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtunding
  1. baffling
  2. deadening
  3. softening
  4. dampening
  5. dulling
  6. modulating
  7. cushioning
  8. buffering
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.
    — Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Definition of deadening
Verb
  • The Sagittarius Moon trines Chiron in your partnership zone, softening the instinct to package every feeling so perfectly that nobody could possibly object.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • China's oil import diet in turn helped ease global demand, softening the upward price effects for the United States, Europe and beyond.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • There's no hybrid system assisting the engine, no all-wheel-drive, no parking sensors, and no sound dampening materials.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2026
  • However, El Niño and marine heat waves can change the timing or force of the winds, potentially dampening coastal upwelling and reducing the availability of food for sea life along the coast.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of dampening
Verb
  • There’s a film sitting on top of it, and that film is what’s dulling the shine.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026
  • To protect himself, however, Trask has created an inhibitor field that de-powers any mutant nearby, dulling Wolverine’s healing power and ferocity.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dulling
Verb
  • The throttle mapping in off-road modes made modulating the power delivery very simple, and other than the slightly lower ground clearance, this electric one can go anywhere that any other Range Rover can.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Although the supplements are generally well tolerated, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, are allergic to ferns, or are taking other medications—particularly immune-modulating ones—may not be good candidates, Nazarian said.
    — Kristen Fischer, HEALTH, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of modulating
Verb
  • Its plush filling adds an extra layer of cushioning that shoppers have compared to sleeping on a cloud.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sole offers premium cushioning for comfort, while the insole molds to your foot for a customized fit.
    — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of cushioning
Verb
  • Remittances, for example, played a major role in buffering poor countries from the dire economic consequences of the COVID pandemic.
    — Eghosa E. Osaghae, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Strength training provides executives with greater physical margin, buffering against the wear and tear of high-level leadership.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of buffering
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

obtunded
obtunding
obtunds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obtunding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtunding. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All