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

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 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

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

But high winds have deafened the instruments to the rumblings from deeper magma, says Rick Aster, a geophysicist at Colorado State University.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 2, 2024

Others, like dolphins and whales who use sonar for navigation, will be deafened.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2024

The team surgically deafened five mice and recorded their songs in a mouse-size sound studio, tricked out with infrared cameras and microphones.

From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 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

And again the roar of the crowd deafened Julius and defeated Caesar’s intention.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

“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

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

In other words, it’s cinéma d’auteur vs. a blockbuster disaster movie in dazzling, deafening IMAX.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

The music and cheers blur into a low hum, drowned out by the deafening sound of a ticking clock only Jack can hear.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

“On the walls? Dragon,” shouted the wizard called Horace, as, with a deafening grinding and tinkling, the chandelier screwed itself back into the ceiling.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling