put a damper on

idiom

: to make (something) less strong, active, or exciting
His bad mood put a damper on the celebration.
He was putting a bit of a damper on her spirits.

Examples of put a damper on in a Sentence

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But all that doesn’t put a damper on the celebrations — Rory and Lorelai still manage to go all-out to decorate trees, do all their shopping, and bake Christmas cookies. Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024 Perseverance weathered a smaller dust storm in September that put a damper on its sightseeing activities. Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 The department’s guidance outlines two main threats that could put a damper on holiday festivities: food poisoning and airborne viruses. Sylvan Lebrun, Chicago Tribune, 25 Nov. 2024 The last two days certainly have put a damper on this. Zack Meisel, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for put a damper on 

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Cite this Entry

“Put a damper on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20a%20damper%20on. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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