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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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).
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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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Opened in 1956, Sunnyvale High School, the city’s second public high school, worked to achieve collaboration between students and educators, aiming to reduce violence and enrich the curriculum during the interracial tension that marked the 1960s and ’70s.Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Roofing contractors said good roofs with years of life left are being replaced ahead of schedule to allow insurers to reduce their risk going forward.Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Aging can dull our ability to navigate using spatial memory, the form of memory responsible for recording and recovering the information needed to remember the location of objects in our environment.New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
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Clearly, the sands of time have not dulled his feelings.Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Elsewhere in the Blue Wall, Trump needs to blunt Democratic growth in Michigan’s key suburban counties outside of Detroit, especially Oakland County.Steve Peoples, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
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In the meantime, however, a combination of weaker oil demand, record U.S. oil production and broader market adjustment to the production cuts has blunted their international impact.Zack Budryk, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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At a costume party, Nick drinks to numb his feelings and dissociate from the crowd, ultimately breaking down in the arms of Charlie's best friend, Tao (William Gao).Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
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At a certain point in this franchise, watching beloved (or just likable) characters die became numbing, with only the occasional loss really cutting through and leaving an impact.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
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As new ways become familiar, employees recognize their advantages, and resistance gradually diminishes.Peter Follows, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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Black Lives Matter is severely diminished as an institution.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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One way of deadening the mind to distractions is by blowing opponents off the court.Tim Ellis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Simplicity, understood like this, is complexity well tended, just as a long, graceful line is a collection of stubby ones, tamed but not deadened.Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Storm surge, wind and rain should subside on the island Wednesday night as Rafael traverses the Gulf of Mexico.Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Lo knows to play a long game, and plans to remain steadfast while waiting for the turmoil to subside.Zinnia Lee, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near benumb
Cite this Entry
“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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