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
Recent Examples on the Web
But the attack that killed Haniyeh has put a damper on those hopes.
—
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
The last couple of years, however—well, probably since COVID put a damper on all celebrations—I’ve stuck to just one.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
But that hasn’t put a damper on the widespread impact of Blackmon’s signature track.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2024
Tim Cook touted the new iPhone 16 series Monday as the first phones designed for Apple Intelligence — but the company's slower-than-expected rollout of its AI services and features could put a damper on this year's upgrade cycle.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for put a damper on 
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
The last couple of years, however—well, probably since COVID put a damper on all celebrations—I’ve stuck to just one.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
But that hasn’t put a damper on the widespread impact of Blackmon’s signature track.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2024
Tim Cook touted the new iPhone 16 series Monday as the first phones designed for Apple Intelligence — but the company's slower-than-expected rollout of its AI services and features could put a damper on this year's upgrade cycle.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for put a damper on
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'put a damper on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near put a damper on
Cite this Entry
“Put a damper on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20a%20damper%20on. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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