as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief
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 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
-
His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In parts of Southeast Asia, totality will begin as the full moon rises, dulling the effect.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Even when the Dodgers find a glimmer, it has been dulled rather quickly.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Companies will ultimately pass at least some of those additional taxes on to consumers, though the process will take many months due to various business strategies to try to blunt the impact, economists said.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The very tool meant to sharpen medical practice had perhaps blunted it.—
Murali Doraiswamy,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Like the sweep of Sheen’s life in micro, aka Charlie Sheen goes from fascinating to numbing, numbing to fascinating, sensational to desensitizing, and not always pleasantly.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Some talked of using drugs and alcohol to numb themselves and contemplating or attempting suicide.—
Alex Riggins,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That transition will bring with it some advantages (the conflict of being a part of the Comcast empire is diminished) but also challenges.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Many observers feel that the family’s power in Thailand is diminished, and its long dominant political machine could finally be out of steam.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Horror of this scale has the effect of deadening words, making stories of the most unimaginable violence land with a dull thud.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Finnish midfielder deadened the ball with a foot and quickly chipped it laterally over nearby defenders.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
The Royals are waiting for his back spasms to subside before getting him back into game action.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
-
By 2008, Americans were withdrawing, and combat deaths were subsiding to their lowest level since the start of the occupation.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share