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deafen

[def-uhn] / ˈdɛf ən /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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“The desire to deafen and respond with noise reflects a kind of discredit of the political discourse,” said Christian Salmon, a French essayist.

From New York Times ● May 23, 2023

Across Los Angeles, studio denizens accustomed to providing all-hours access for musicians on creative benders have been wandering hallways and pondering ways to deafen the silence.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2020

Opposing sides defecate piles of paperwork at one another, seemingly hoping to discourage or deafen the opponent.

From Golf Digest ● Dec. 6, 2018

The frequencies of sound produced by the corvina fell within a range that could harm the hearing of seals, sea lions and dolphins, or even deafen them, the duo concluded.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 19, 2017

The blast didn’t just deafen Alex, it shuddered right through him as if trying to rip out his heart.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

To recognize that the paralysis of suffering deafens us to our own emotions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2023

But indiscriminately blocking or hiding the voices of those you don’t agree with does not silence them; it only deafens you.

From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2016

Another competition of this mould - regardless of how it is packaged - would surely just add to the white noise that already deafens fans of football’s most saturated market.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 13, 2015

A seaport, South Street or otherwise, isn’t the right place to experience Dinosaur Jr.—the band is best enjoyed in a dark, enclosed room, where you can adore it viscerally, as it deafens you.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 14, 2014

Dewey’s ears ring with it—a ringing that almost deafens him to the whispery rush of Smith’s soft voice.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Yet when the researchers treated the mice with a plant-based cholesterol-like compound called phytosterols, the artificially deafened mice experienced improvement in their hearing.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2023

Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 30, 2023

But Ms Clair criticised them over their stance, saying: "Their silence deafened me."

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2022

Its sticky soil has thwarted InSight’s heat probe, and in recent months howling winds have deafened its sensitive seismometers.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 15, 2020

Just then, despite being deafened, I heard a girl’s voice scream out, “Will! Will Tweedy! You aw-right, Will?”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

“There was a stillness, a deafening silence. It was the sensation of being a kid in a room where there’s only one light source and you can see the floating particles in the air.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

A stadium that has rocked to the sound of protest has now returned to deafening praise.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

But the pine trees lining Krystal Polk's home, in her family for generations, don't protect her from the data center's deafening drone, which sounds like a jet that never takes off.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Roxanne Brown’s journey to leading the United Steelworkers union didn’t start in the heat and deafening noise of a steel mill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Each moment of deafening silence speaks louder than words could.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles




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