1
as in speechless
unable to speak
the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silent
deliberately refraining from speech
remained mute no matter how much we pleaded for an answer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quieter
a device on a musical instrument that deadens or softens its tone
I was practicing my trumpet at three in the morning when the mute fell out, and I managed to wake everyone up
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to muffle
to deaden the sound of
closing the windows muted the traffic noise so we could get to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of mute
Simon Thompson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
The top of the frame also has mic mute and volume buttons, as well as pinholes for the far-field microphones.
—PCMAG, 26 Nov. 2024
Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021
Lenin, too, suffered from manic rage and erratic behavior, and died in his early fifties confined to a wheelchair after multiple strokes left him mute and paralyzed.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2016
Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 20 Nov. 2024
The statistics are sterile, but the sound of absence hums: their voices missing from the kitchens, the markets, the churches, the streets of Florence, muted instead inside convent walls.
—Michelle Weber, Longreads, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mute 
Adjective
As Eli tries to help the seemingly mute child, their bond deepens, and a haunting connection to the past begins to present itself.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
The top of the frame also has mic mute and volume buttons, as well as pinholes for the far-field microphones.
—PCMAG, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
Idealizing the beauty of the bucolic landscape often minimizes the labor tied to it, and so Yu disrupts any sense of the natural world as mute and pleasant.
—Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021
Lenin, too, suffered from manic rage and erratic behavior, and died in his early fifties confined to a wheelchair after multiple strokes left him mute and paralyzed.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2016
Verb
All parts of McAvoy’s game have been too muted through 20 games.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 20 Nov. 2024
The statistics are sterile, but the sound of absence hums: their voices missing from the kitchens, the markets, the churches, the streets of Florence, muted instead inside convent walls.
—Michelle Weber, Longreads, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mute
Adjective
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In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.Phil Helsel, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2023
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Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Importantly, this decision did not remove all agency deference just deference where the statute is either silent or ambiguous.Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
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The Kremlin remained silent on Assad’s whereabouts Monday, refusing to comment publicly on Russia’s decision to grant him asylum.Sophie Tanno, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Willis quickly used that notoriety to claim the bans were part of a grand conspiracy to silence truth tellers like him from informing people about what was really happening in the world.David Gilbert, WIRED, 10 Dec. 2024
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Grantees with innocent-sounding names like Good Information Inc. and Free Press seek mostly to silence other political and policy ideas.Scott Walter, Baltimore Sun, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Owners can do a number of things to relieve this type of anxiety in dogs, such as leaving a long-lasting chew toy with them when leaving and keeping the radio on to muffle outside noises.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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Each earbud also includes a pair of microphones and Nothing’s latest noise-canceling technology (Clear Voice Technology 3.0) to help stop outside noises from muffling your voice during a call.Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 24 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Look around the chimney for any cracks or potential issues, and make sure that the damper and chimney cap are functioning properly.Heather Bien, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2024
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Adjust duct dampers or add thermal dampers to balance airflow for even heating in your home.Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Back then, Mason was the kind of person who got excited about camera placement on a mountain to capture just the right shot as a downhill ski racer shushed past.Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
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Other players use this tactic too, including Djokovic’s friend Nick Kyrgios (on many occasions), Sebastian Korda at this year’s Italian Open in Rome, and Taylor Fritz, who shushed an entire stadium after beating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech at Roland Garros in 2023.Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 13 July 2024
Verb
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This combination of quality reporting and fulsome data analysis can guide an investor away from all the noisy, contrived optimism to quiet, accurate realism.John S. Tobey, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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But, if successful, the game plan would go a long way toward both quieting critics who argue Amazon is playing catch-up in the AI wars, while also future-proofing the company’s standing as one of the world’s most powerful and influential technology corporations for decades to come.Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In order to save time, space, or money, audio companies will often take the design of a larger, more expensive device and dumb it down slightly to make a product that's more accessible, and probably better for most of us.Parker Hall, WIRED, 6 May 2021
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To dumb it down, think about how action figures of the past had limited points of articulation.Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near mute
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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