1
as in shushing
to stop the noise or speech of
muted the television while she was on the phone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in muffling
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 muting
Skipping a baby shower or muting a pregnancy announcement on social media are reasonable ways to protect your own emotional wellbeing during a difficult season.
—
Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Scientists say this indicates that the medicines were muting the crustaceans' pain processing.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Questioning whether Jews deserve equal rights without muting their identity is not a neutral intellectual exercise.
—Kenneth L. Marcus, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
At the bottom of the screen are buttons for recording video, taking a snapshot, initiating two-way talk, playing a pre-recorded quick response voice message, and muting the sound.
—John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
This year’s hard freeze that melted most of our daffodils also took the edge off many of the Bradford pear blooms, muting the usual burst of white flowers across the landscape.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
So for anyone who’s struggling to create that distance, Jeter suggests starting small and committing to just one month of no direct communication—along with blocking or muting them online.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
The two-year war that followed had a muting effect on deals between Israel and the UAE, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza created a PR catastrophe for Israelis in the Gulf.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
For much of the past year, neither side was willing to budge much from their respective stance, effectively muting any chance of a settlement.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Scientists say this indicates that the medicines were muting the crustaceans' pain processing.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Questioning whether Jews deserve equal rights without muting their identity is not a neutral intellectual exercise.
—Kenneth L. Marcus, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
At the bottom of the screen are buttons for recording video, taking a snapshot, initiating two-way talk, playing a pre-recorded quick response voice message, and muting the sound.
—John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
This year’s hard freeze that melted most of our daffodils also took the edge off many of the Bradford pear blooms, muting the usual burst of white flowers across the landscape.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
So for anyone who’s struggling to create that distance, Jeter suggests starting small and committing to just one month of no direct communication—along with blocking or muting them online.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
The two-year war that followed had a muting effect on deals between Israel and the UAE, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza created a PR catastrophe for Israelis in the Gulf.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
For much of the past year, neither side was willing to budge much from their respective stance, effectively muting any chance of a settlement.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muting
Verb
-
Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
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The timeless linen is backed with a white blackout liner to block out as much light as possible without adding unnecessary bulk to your window frames while muffling the sound from your street.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The justices recognized that Colorado had crossed a constitutional line by favoring one set of ideas while silencing another.—
Jeffrey S. Trimbath,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in 2024, accusing it of silencing its statements in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The alarms go off, the two get locked in the entry hall, and as Emma panics, Charlie rushes over to kiss her, quieting her fear.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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Research has linked prolonged exposure to that level of ambient noise to elevated stress and anxiety, so by quieting that baseline sensory load, ANC creates the right environment for some calming music or a meditation app to do its job.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
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Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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