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
The valuations of Nvidia and Oracle spiked on the announcements of these deals—only to falter as worries about an AI bubble put a damper on the stock market’s growth toward the end of the year.
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Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
This, in turn, could put a damper on homebuyers' growing advantage over sellers.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Foodborne illnesses can quickly put a damper on your celebrations.
—Lisa Cuchara, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
But his stat line didn’t put a damper on the evening, which included the unfurling of Florida’s national championship banner.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
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Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
This, in turn, could put a damper on homebuyers' growing advantage over sellers.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Foodborne illnesses can quickly put a damper on your celebrations.
—Lisa Cuchara, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
But his stat line didn’t put a damper on the evening, which included the unfurling of Florida’s national championship banner.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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