as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of benumb
Because both actors look like lumpish proletarian versions of Ingmar Bergman stars — Alma Pöysti, radiant yet benumbed, plays Ansa like a dish-towel Bibi Andersson, and Jussi Vatanen could be the schlump brother of Max von Sydow (with a dollop of Ryan Gosling).
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 May 2023
What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 24 Jan. 2019
But her core insight into how even mediocrities can be institutionally benumbed and conscripted into heinous projects remains fertile.
—George Prochnik, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 May 2023
What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 24 Jan. 2019
But her core insight into how even mediocrities can be institutionally benumbed and conscripted into heinous projects remains fertile.
—George Prochnik, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benumb
Verb
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Do not follow large vehicles closely - Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
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Morning dopamine spikes from phone use reduce your motivation to pursue slower, more meaningful tasks later.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, the board’s paint has dulled and been scuffed up as thousands of people have walked across it.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
1 Aug. 2025
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But for her brother Brad Bradley, the pain hasn't dulled — and neither has his anger toward one crew member: the ship's cruise director, Kirk Detweiler.—
Sarah Jones,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
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But local governments’ overspending has continued to drive up bills, blunting the relief.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
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Retirements and injuries blunt the purity of one-on-one competition.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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What’s typically offered instead is a form of neuraxial anesthesia, which numbs out a large swath of your body by blocking nerve signals in your spine.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
16 July 2025
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In his opening voiceover, which floats above the sort of glassy synth music that’s meant to numb our judgment, Mel informs us that he was conceived during a conjugal visit when his father was in prison, and that his dad once told him that he was destined to wind up back behind bars.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
11 June 2025
Verb
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The Stars regularly raise prices on their services while diminishing their quality.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Also in the Pacific, Tropical Depression Iona, over 1,400 miles west of Honolulu, continued weakening as it was expected to cross the International Date Line on Saturday, according to a hurricane center advisory.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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Alcohol also weakens the valve that keeps stomach acid in place, leading to reflux and heartburn.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
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By Richard Assheton Read On Little Britain The Breakfast Clubs America’s morning television brightens the day but deadens the soul.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
5 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Authorities emphasized that beaches and waterfront areas should be avoided until the threat of wave activity fully subsides.—
Barney Henderson
Robert Birsel
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
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Combined with other public health efforts, this clean needle initiative caused the outbreak to subside.—
Dave Wessner,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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