BENUMB Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

benumb

verb

bi-ˈnəm

Definition of benumb

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

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 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

Integrating the interceptor into existing launch infrastructure could reduce the need for extensive equipment changes.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
People can donate clean costumes and pick a new one, reducing waste and the resources and emissions required to make new ones.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Some cleaners can dull the floor’s finish, cause damage, or leave streaks.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
The primary effects generally wear off in less than an hour, but a person’s senses may remain dulled and their judgment and coordination impaired for several hours afterward.

— Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dull

Verb

The Election Commission may yet blunt the controversy by admitting voters whose appeals are pending or by making procedural concessions that reduce the immediate grievances.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
In theory, the clearinghouse would monitor the speed of AI growth without blunting the nation’s competitive advantage.

— John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of blunt

Verb

Members of Congress could be expected to resist presidential encroachments because those encroachments diminished their own power.

— Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
In theory, such an arrangement diminishes the cells’ ability to transport oxygen from the lungs.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

Conditions were expected to improve Saturday afternoon as winds weakened, with fair and dry weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
As trust in America weakens further, other wealthy nations will make the same calculation.

— Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

Inside the cabin, extensive additional sound deadening in the doors, trunk and wheel arches means phone calls and passenger conversations are entirely effortless at highway speeds.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
Too much intention, too much Trying to Say, too much overarching metaphor, can deaden your work.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of deaden

Verb

This means rough surf, beach erosion, and coastal flooding will slowly subside at the beaches through the weekend.

— Steven Sosna, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Goldman Sachs also found that hedge funds sold tech stocks at a record pace last week, suggesting future selling pressure may subside.

— Sean Conlon, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of subside

Browse Nearby Words

bents

benumb

benumbed

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“Benumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumb. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of benumb

verb

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