desensitize

Constant warnings of collapse desensitize us to real dangers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

“One of the things that we teach them to do is to massage that over repeatedly throughout the day, to desensitize it,” April says.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2024

The pretreatment seemed to desensitize the animals to the hormone’s effects later on.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 13, 2023

The simulations can help patients practice organizational and decision-making skills learned in cognitive behavioral therapy -- currently the standard treatment -- and desensitize them to the distress they feel when discarding.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2023

Riding in the open air is better than not being in the open air at all, but it does not compare in its power to desensitize people with active exercise in the open air.

From Health Through Will Power by James J. (James Joseph) Walsh

“We hear stuff like this all the time. It just desensitizes you to there being an actual threat, knock on wood.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

Fuchs hopes viewers also recognize the ways that fear desensitizes Derry townsfolk to the horrors in their midst.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025

“It desensitizes you to handcuffs, to steel, to concrete, to cold, to institutions,” said Roybal, now 38 and a physical therapist.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 10, 2023

In addition to killing cavity-causing bacteria, the treatment hardens tooth structure, desensitizes the tooth and even stops new cavities from forming.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 11, 2020

The rap against video games is that the artificial violence they permit us desensitizes us to real violence.

From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2016

At the same time, buyers are “becoming increasingly desensitized to these discounts,” Ali Wolf, chief economist at NewHomeSource and Zonda, said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

I hear this narrative a lot, like, people are so plugged into social media and desensitized to violence that we just don’t care about anyone else anymore.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Pepperstone strategist Michael Brown said markets appear to be “becoming increasingly desensitized to incoming geopolitical news flow” as the conflict drags on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Investors have become desensitized to risk as the 2008-09 financial crisis fades from memory, Block believes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2025

“You need to get desensitized to the hugging,” Aaron said.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Saturating audiences with doomsday stories risks desensitizing them, Nelson warned.

From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2026

Skylar King, who’s performing at the show, said she had a week of long conversations with her fellow performers on how to joke about climate change without desensitizing people to the seriousness of the topic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2024

By contrast, home therapy has lower time demands and less pain and risk — while still desensitizing the immune system by repeated exposures to the allergen.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2023

Trainers begin by desensitizing the chimps to the sound, doling out bananas, Cheerios or other treats as it plays.

From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2023

But this morning I noticed a real improvement when I went through the massage and desensitizing routine.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen