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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mute
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
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Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 25 June 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
Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 28 June 2025
Economic fallout from the weekend strike by U.S. forces on Iranian nuclear facilities has been muted so far, but the opening of direct hostilities between the U.S. and Iran could have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mute
Adjective
Among the main strategies of discretion was anonymity, which permitted the letter writers to retain some trace of privacy and the columnist to mute aspects of his personal identity.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
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Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 25 June 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
Even among Shiite populations in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, support during the Israel-Iran confrontation was muted.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 28 June 2025
Economic fallout from the weekend strike by U.S. forces on Iranian nuclear facilities has been muted so far, but the opening of direct hostilities between the U.S. and Iran could have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 23 June 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
-
Thus far, however, Tesla’s board has remained largely silent throughout Musk’s period of political activity.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
-
Once you’re negatively labeled, even your best work struggles to break through the silent barrier those words create.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
This option allows priority notifications — like severe weather alerts — to interrupt you while still silencing less urgent messages.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
10 July 2025
-
Elections are tightly controlled, opposition is criminalized, political parties are banned, and dissenters—even peaceful ones are silenced.—
Roya Boroumand,
Time,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Rutter suggests using a white noise generator to muffle the loud booms of the fireworks.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
-
As of February, staffers from DOGE had pushed top-ranking officials at the Department of Education out of their offices, rearranged the furniture and set up white noise machines to muffle their voices, according to employees at the agency.—
Lora Kolodny,Ari Levy,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Consumers who prefer a caramel macchiato from Starbucks for their caffeine hit will likely see a more muted impact on their wallets.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
-
Market movements were relatively muted, signaling investors think Trump’s new tariffs are more negotiating tactics than firm policy.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
The result is that prices have started to drop across much of the state, as historically high mortgage rates are still putting a significant damper on demand, despite growing inventory giving buyers more options.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
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The Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe Reimagined by Singer has a six-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, and adjustable dampers.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
5 May 2025
Verb
-
For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm’s and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
The crowd had just spent an entire overtime shushing each other.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
While it’s not used on actual babies much anymore due to health concerns, a sprinkle of baby powder can quiet squeaks, remove sand, absorb oil, and more.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 July 2025
-
His start to the 2024 season didn’t help quiet those calls.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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