dull
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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And while Grande later insisted the break was pre-planned and not “reactive or impulsive,” there’s no doubt the announcement was timed to dull the cacophony of both the jeers and cheers.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
"My skin feels dull and textured and just looks more tired in general, and my chest feels heavier and sore."
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
July is the dull month; beginning in August, volatility increases and generally rises into October.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
She gives him lotus flowers to dull his pain, but as he keeps eating them, his memories and sense of identity begin to fade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
They’re the noise-cancelling kind, which dull Dad’s stressed-out voice even when I’m not listening to music.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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Users of the drugs have reported duller senses of taste, less pleasure from eating and related side effects around flavor—phenomena characterized by some as “Ozempic tongue.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That show is growing duller, and more lethargic and repetitive, by the day, like watching reruns of a canceled sitcom.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026
They don’t always mesh well, and the darker the series gets, the duller it becomes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2024
In general, cold water sounds brighter and splashier, while hot water sounds duller and frothier.
From New York Times ● May 9, 2024
If all went well, one or two might glow with the desired translucent green; others would be duller or less clear.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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To be clear, there is no guarantee of finding magic in your dullest job duties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
“When you are a scientist, and you are trying to prove or disprove a notion, you work at the bench doing the dullest, most routine things over and over and over again,” Baltimore once explained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
Mr Farage added that the election had got off to the "dullest start" he could remember.
From BBC ● May 28, 2024
A great screenplay is a very hard thing to define, but one way might be "a screenplay that turns the dullest ideas into the most thrilling moments."
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2023
He forced himself to remember the dullest things he knew—bootblack, an application form, a wet towel on his bedroom floor.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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But the passage of time naturally dulls the horror for people farther away.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2026
Over time it dulls the conscience to any moral hierarchy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
In theory, each ingredient plays a role: one dries secretions, another loosens phlegm, a third dulls the cough reflex.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
Because when repetition dulls our shock of them, how long before we are no longer shocked by real images of real arrests?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2025
The hum of conversation around us dulls and washes out while the clattering sound of plates and glasses being stacked behind the bar gets sharper, making my ears ring.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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The law’s shield is shattered, and its sword is dulled.
From Slate ● May 1, 2026
The bigger question now may be less about appearance and more about whether age and inactivity have dulled those attributes.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
The gloves are weathered and white, their brightness dulled by the decades, with the brand name “reusch” across the knuckles and a big, plum-colored sun on top.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
For them, there will be no better feeling than paying off their mortgage and writing that last check — even if the satisfaction is slightly dulled because of your generosity.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026
He had begun listening to his mother with the dulled ear of someone who was about to be conned and knew it.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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Paradoxically, it is the unwavering commitment to a narrow range of recognizable figures, dulling in its totality, that turned his signature style into a full-blown brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
The higher costs have prompted chocolate makers to raise their prices, dulling consumers' appetite for the sweets.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025
She said the government was not just waiting for the dulling to take place, and had invested £5m in interim, shorter-term road safety issues on the A9.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2025
Insect repellents are not meant to kill insects, but work by dulling their senses to prevent them from finding humans, according to the National Pesticide Information Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2024
Mist's dulling the gold leaves and browning the reds.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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Vocabulary lists containing dull
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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