1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence
the near crash of the airliner was a completely unmanning experience for the passengers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of
players who wouldn't let themselves be unmanned by the loss of a single game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmanning
Verb
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The Islamic Republic has shut down the internet and cut off telephone communications, paralyzing the country.—
Shahrnush Parsipur,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026 -
But even before their deaths and ensuing public outcry, James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Sherman saw fear paralyzing the city’s food community.—
Serena Maria Daniels,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The challenge for executives is to create organizational conditions that encourage these productive patterns while discouraging the seductive but self-defeating path of full automation.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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In the spirit of discouraging intimacy pre-engagement, courting couples did not use each other's first names—at least, not in public.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That’s terrifying on a whole different level.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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At another level, there does seem to be something absurd and even terrifying about the idea that someone who is not elected can become the leader of a country and then will be recognized as the leader of that country and receive the immunities afforded to heads of state.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For over 20 years, the South African artist has been one of the genre’s true workhorses, building up an intimidating discography under names like Echologist and Beat Pharmacy and applying the style’s pearlescent, pulsating aesthetic to a range of frameworks.—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
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And while this can be intimidating for beginner investors considering the drop in value in just a few weeks, savvy investors can exploit it by buying in low now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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How to tell her about this terrible event without scaring her?—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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California’s declines can be more properties for sale, nudging sellers to compete on price, and a wobbly economy scaring off some potential buyers.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the political sphere—an arena that’s increasingly entangled with social media—figures such as Elon Musk decry empathy as an emasculating plague.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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And yet precisely this dynamic ensures that commitment between men, the kind of domesticity that David and Giovanni attempt to establish in Giovanni’s room, can only ever be emasculating.—
Garth Greenwell,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Unmanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmanning. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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