as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
time had cauterized his bitterness, and he was willing to let bygones be bygones
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cauterize
All of his attempts to cut away his past, to cauterize himself and separate himself from it, would fail.
—
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
For patients deemed female, excess flesh could be cut away, and for patients deemed male, the vulva could be cauterized to close it.
—Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
This brought to mind a discovery made by Ambroise Paré.
Paré, who lived from 1510 to 1590, worked on the battlefields of France, and was taught to cauterize gunshot wounds with boiling oil.
—The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
All of his attempts to cut away his past, to cauterize himself and separate himself from it, would fail.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cauterize
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
For patients deemed female, excess flesh could be cut away, and for patients deemed male, the vulva could be cauterized to close it.
—Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
This brought to mind a discovery made by Ambroise Paré.
Paré, who lived from 1510 to 1590, worked on the battlefields of France, and was taught to cauterize gunshot wounds with boiling oil.
—The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
All of his attempts to cut away his past, to cauterize himself and separate himself from it, would fail.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cauterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterize
Verb
-
The ban aims to improve academic achievement, reduce cyberbullying, and minimize classroom disruptions.—
Ruby Grisin,
The Courier-Journal,
26 July 2025
-
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
Verb
-
But local governments’ overspending has continued to drive up bills, blunting the relief.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
-
Retirements and injuries blunt the purity of one-on-one competition.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
Alcohol also weakens the valve that keeps stomach acid in place, leading to reflux and heartburn.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cauterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterize. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share