1
as in speechless
unable to speak
the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mute
Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
In the film, Leo, described as a mute young orphan girl with a world of thoughts inside her, and Lou, a jaded, middle-aged nihilist, take a journey together.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
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
Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The price impact was muted, one study found, because retailers absorbed much of the cost through lower profit margins.
—Howard Schneider, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mute
Adjective
And, from the first lynching postcard to the first mute Sambos of cinema, we have been drowned in images that want to tell us what Blackness is, and how it is doomed.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
In the film, Leo, described as a mute young orphan girl with a world of thoughts inside her, and Lou, a jaded, middle-aged nihilist, take a journey together.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
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
The mood was like an eternal shiva — the celebration of the South L.A. rapper’s cinematic life is muted, the search for meaning and healing unending.
—Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The price impact was muted, one study found, because retailers absorbed much of the cost through lower profit margins.
—Howard Schneider, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mute
Adjective
-
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
-
Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
The writer was directed to a secret Disney warehouse where he was confronted with a Baby Yoda robot that was able to respond to him, including seeming disappointed when the writer was silent.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Jun Reina, a former general manager of Capital Public Radio and a central figure in the station’s financial woes, has largely remained silent as questions mounted over a scathing audit’s findings of questionable expenses and financial mismanagement.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Our social media volunteers, supporters in the diaspora, and activists have had their families harassed and abducted, all in an effort to silence dissent.—
Imran Khan,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The battle for copyright in the AI age is far from over, but one thing is clear: musicians, writers, and artists are ready to fight back, and they will not be silenced. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.—
Virginie Berger,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Don’t: Rely on Just a Sleep Mask Instead: Use Reusable Ear Plugs, Too $29 at Amazon For anyone who needs silence to fall asleep, Young recommends packing a pair of ear plugs to muffle any distracting noises.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2025
-
The suspect cut into the lock just as a train entered the station to muffle the sound, the video shows.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The front suspension uses unequal-length wishbones with coil-over dampers, and the car has a coil-spring live-rear axle.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
-
These dampers act as a block at the main duct trunk line, causing your system to function like there isn’t a vent in that particular room at all.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Duke did things to Illinois on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, in a 110-67 eyeful that wasn’t as close as the final score, to shush talk of a weak ACC potentially costing Cooper and the fighting Flaggs a No. 1 seed.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Visiting Villa manager Unai Emery had earlier been left angered by the decision to send off Jhon Duran with Tindall later seen shushing the Spaniard in the technical area.—
Callum Davis,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Tech needed its captain to quiet the growing optimism and momentum the Wildcats were gaining.—
Devin Bradshaw,
The Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Once the embers have quieted and the smoke has blown to the ocean, local risk management plans will be subject to a comprehensive review.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Where conspiracies dumb us down to eventually believe that nothing is actually true?—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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