cauterizing

verb

present participle of cauterize
as in reducing
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

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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 cauterizing Jhin says doctors can remove them by shaving, scraping, freezing or cauterizing them. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cauterizing
  1. reducing
  2. blunting
  3. dulling
  4. deadening
  5. diminishing
  6. weakening
  7. numbing
Verb
  • According to a news release, the program will track attendance and behavioral data with the primary goals being to improve school attendance and student grades while potentially reducing psychiatric hospitalizations.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That could lower capital and operating costs while reducing safety risks during production.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • The law is aimed at blunting financial scams that often target older adults, which frequently include prompting victims to withdraw large sums of money at once.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Semaglutide can hook into this system, blunting the usual pleasure from eating high-fat and sugary treats.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunting
Verb
  • To protect himself, however, Trask has created an inhibitor field that de-powers any mutant nearby, dulling Wolverine’s healing power and ferocity.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Here are the cleaning mistakes that could be dulling your hardwood floors’ shine, as well as the simple fixes to restore their finish.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of dulling
Verb
  • Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.
    — Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Definition of deadening
Verb
  • But the war’s unintended consequences have spread far beyond the Middle East, affecting global security, diminishing America’s global standing, and potentially providing its adversaries with an opportunity to expand their influence.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As more money and attention flow into the space, the challenge is how to capitalize on the cultural cachet of the Grand Slams without diminishing what made that access desirable in the first place.
    — Jessica Schiffer, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminishing
Verb
  • Throughout this year, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been weakening the Navy’s leadership by blocking the promotion of nearly 20 admirals.
    — Andrea N. Goldstein, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Wheat futures hit their highest level in more than three years as the war in Ukraine strained supplies, further weakening the global food system.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • News Channel 5 similarly reported that she was erroneously given potassium in place of numbing medication.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The oil is mixed with garlic and soy sauce that’s been reduced with scallions and brown sugar, forming a salty-sweet elixir that delivers lip-numbing but not face-melting heat.
    — Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of numbing

Browse Nearby Words

cauterizes
cauterizing
caution
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Cite this Entry

“Cauterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cauterizing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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