Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of dulling.
  • noun Something that dulls or blunts.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of blunt.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • If other countries were to pursue the policies which Canada has pursued now for a hundred years in blunting the natural course of specialization and comparative advantage in international trade, Canada would be an economic wasteland.

    Lessons from Current Miseries 1983

  • Zoe was a proud, spoiled, petted beauty, and had led a prosperous life, which goes for a great deal in blunting the moral perceptions both of men and women.

    Zoe: The History of Two Lives 1845

  • Obama’s campaign emphasis on getting out of Iraq and beefing up Afghanistan was effective in blunting possible attacks that he was just a weak liberal, but the campaign is over now and I don’t see how we succeed in his plan.

    One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other | ATTACKERMAN 2008

  • A dichotomy was drawn between repression and sensitization (also called blunting and monitoring); that is, between people who approach information and those who avoid it (the approach - avoidance dichotomy).

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

  • Rarely does this kind of blunting cause any problem, even among dogs that live many years and chew pretty regularly on tennis balls, he says.

    There are worse things for dogs than chewing tennis balls 2009

  • He says the recommendations are aimed at "blunting" any unconscious racial bias.

    KansasCity.com: Front Page 2010

  • He says the recommendations are aimed at "blunting" any unconscious racial bias.

    KansasCity.com: Front Page 2010

  • Major brands recognize that such transparency is important in "blunting" growing competition from niche brands benefiting from natural, sustainable, artisan origins as these attributes gain increasing resonance with consumers, adds Kime.

    unknown title 2009

  • The government's objective is to pacify violent regions and put Colombia on a path to peace by blunting the appeal of a guerrilla group that uses the banner of land reform to justify its struggle.

    Colombia hoping land reform efforts will help sow peace Juan Forero 2011

  • The SEC said it became concerned in the early 1970s that firms were agreeing to settlements and then publicly insisting they had done nothing wrong, blunting any deterrent effect.

    The Origins of a Policy as Practical as It Is Puzzling Chad Bray 2011

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