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
  • 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
  • Despite some protests about a dog contributing to the game, Buddy — clad in a bright blue jersey and two pairs of basketball kicks — scores baffling basket after baffling basket, leaving the other team shocked.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 July 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
  • These grew louder each time a Ferrari left its garage and entered the pit lane before softening again, a call and response that echoed around the circuit.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, softening is still seen over the rest of the year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • She was tasked with balancing inflation control against the risk of rate hikes dampening economic recovery.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But both parties have violated the terms of the deal throughout the two-month period, dampening hopes that the tenuous truce would lead to a more concrete agreement to end the conflict.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 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
  • The script by Strippoli and Salvatore de Chirico shrewdly underplays that hand, instead cushioning the vanity factor in sincere parental concern for the children’s health, well-being and preordained path to success.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • It’s built with a ton of cushioning to soften impact from running or walking.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 5 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 20 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All