deafen

“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

Jamming “can blind and deafen an aircraft very quickly and very dangerously, especially if you lose GPS and radar and you’re a jet flying at 600 miles an hour.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2022

“Sirens deafen / Everything’s on fire in heaven, heaven,” she sings in what sounds like a moody lullaby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2022

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

From Golf Digest ● Dec. 6, 2018

Then he leaned over and put a hand beside his mouth, as if he did not wish to be overheard, an effect slightly lessened by his whisper, which was loud enough to deafen.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

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

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

When he blows his nose, he deafens his students, listening to his instructions through headphones.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 15, 2012

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

Another said: "I have 2 very excited daughters. Almost got deafened by the screaming when the purchase was verified."

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2024

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 if seismic survey operators benefitted from a dearth of environmental impact studies for many years, more and more research shows that marine life is silenced, deafened, subdued, and scattered by the major sonic impacts.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2022

Instead, we are deafened by a cacophony of memoirs and first-person narratives — “a choir made up of soloists.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2019

Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs, Harry blinked and looked down at the floor.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

They greeted her with a roar, cheered every point, and screamed with such deafening volume that her opponents made a string of unforced errors in the middle of a game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

The deafening volume at SoFi was the only aspect of the show that got in the way.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 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

They say requests for information were met with a "deafening silence" in the weeks between Sharma's original memo and the eventual layoffs.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

The wind was rushing past him, battering his face and deafening him.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz