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

"If we can increase levels of GDF15 before someone becomes pregnant, that might desensitize them, similar to how we try to desensitize people to allergens who have severe allergies," says Fejzo.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024

For young children and people who have to take many different allergy medications, immunotherapies in the form of shots and oral drops can help desensitize the immune system to allergens, treating symptoms at their root.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

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

“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

Regional anesthesia desensitizes a large section of someone’s body by injecting drugs into the spine that block nerve signals to the brain.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2014

Nadeau desensitizes allergic kids to allergens through exposure.

From Slate ● Mar. 11, 2013

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

But Wall Street has become desensitized to the actual or attempted regulation of tech platforms, which have only continued to grow.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

Or maybe, through repeated exposure, Americans have been desensitized to the burden that unnecessary complexity imposes on us.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026

With true crime’s popularity dramatically increasing over the last 15 years, audiences have become increasingly desensitized.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025

I’ve been desensitized to the horrors of group therapy.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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

Leprosy primarily affects the skin and peripheral nervous system, causing physical deformity and desensitizing one’s ability to feel pain on affected skin.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2024

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

It works by desensitizing the nerves in the skin that transmit an itch sensation.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 7, 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