See the Dictionary Definition 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtunding
Verb
-
The slow starts are baffling to Becht.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026 -
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That gap between the imagined object and the real one sharpened the launch rather than softening it.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
And in many quarters, the tone is softening.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
In the wake of the immigration raids last summer, many of their potential patrons refrained from hosting celebrations, dampening their business.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
One of San Francisco's busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The al fresco dining area is covered with beige tents, dulling the landscape.—
Lily Moayeri,
SPIN,
1 May 2026
-
At Source puts seven years of joint practice and mutual magnetism to tape without dulling the dynamic buzz of their live sets.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Calming involves controlling your internal biological responses, such as lowering your heart rate and breathing rate, and modulating your outward behavior.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
The approach has nothing to do with maximizing screentime or superseding her actual director, but modulating her performance within a broader context.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Despite their max-cushioning build, these sneakers remain surprisingly lightweight, making gliding through airport terminals or museum tours a breeze.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
Brighton’s goal began from Baleba cushioning a pass to Gross from near the halfway line from a Pope kick.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Decades of research indicate that psychological flexibility plays an important role in buffering the negative effects of stress and a broad range of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.—
Joan M. Cook,
Time,
12 May 2026
-
The method used in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) bases lottery rankings on the past two seasons combined, buffering the payoff for any tanking.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Obtunding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtunding. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
