1
as in sedative
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
the dentist waited until the anesthetic took effect
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2
as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security
he used total immersion in his job as an anesthetic for the empty shell that his marriage had become
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as in analgesic
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of anesthetic
Cristina Mutchler, Health, 3 Oct. 2024
This procedure could be quickly performed in a clinic using a local anesthetic.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2024
Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
The researchers are currently exploring whether other anesthetic drugs achieve the same effect by different means.
—New Atlas, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for anesthetic 
Noun
It's not recommended to use an OTC anesthetic for longer than a week unless your dentist recommends it.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 3 Oct. 2024
This procedure could be quickly performed in a clinic using a local anesthetic.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Like many other women she's since encountered, Schwartz posted online to share her traumatic experience, asking why women’s pain has been normalized in gynecological procedures to the extent that no anesthetic or laughing gas is offered for relief.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
The researchers are currently exploring whether other anesthetic drugs achieve the same effect by different means.
—New Atlas, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for anesthetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anesthetic
Noun
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And among the plants included were Egyptian blue water lily and Syrian rue, which contain hallucinogenic, medicinal, intoxicating and sedative properties that can alter perception and enhance visionary experiences, Tanasi said.Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024
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Surgeons commonly do the procedure with patients awake, using local anesthesia (numbing injections) plus an oral sedative, like Xanax, to quell anxiety.Jolene Edgar, Allure, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The suspects were charged with abandonment of a person followed by death, as well as supply and facilitation of narcotics, Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said in a Nov. 7 press release.Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
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Prosecutors allege that a social media network was set up by an alumnus of Rutgers University to facilitate the sale and distribution of narcotics.Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In the study, a team of researchers led by the neuroscientists Francis Lee at Weill Cornell Medicine and Anjali Rajadhyaksha at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University blocked the rewarding properties of opioids in mice while preserving the drugs’ analgesic effects.Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 29 Nov. 2024
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Nettle is said to have an analgesic effect, which is said to help with joint diseases such as rheumatism or osteoarthritis.Katharina Walser, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In the park, the medical outreach team handed out glass pipes and test kits that can detect fentanyl or veterinary tranquilizer in drugs before they’re consumed, possibly saving lives.Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024
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An Ohio woman was sentenced to 40 years in prison this week for injecting her estranged husband with an animal tranquilizer — and then burying his body — during an attack that was partially captured on a vehicle dash camera.Antonio Planas, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Natural forms of opiates and dopamine – key players in brain pathways that diminish pain and enhance reward – seem to be telltale ingredients of the elevated tails in our anticipation training program.Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
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Additionally, in areas where the country set up harm-reduction programs, improvements were observed in addicts’ life expectancies and psychological well-being, coupled with an overall reduction in the illicit consumption of opiates.Amir A. Afkhami, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2013
Adjective
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Except as a form of hypnotic relaxation, even watching seems beside the point.Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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Born January 12, 1935 in Montclair, New Jersey, George Kresge was inspired to become a mentalist by Lee Falk’s crime solving comic strip Mandrake the Magician, whose work was based on an unusually fast hypnotic technique.Marc Berman, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Read full email › Mr. Biden’s language tends to be more anodyne.Lazaro Gamio, New York Times, 18 July 2024
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Notable features: Everyone on this show is hot in anodyne, unremarkable ways, and none of the drama is especially striking.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near anesthetic
Cite this Entry
“Anesthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anesthetic. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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