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

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These equity gains, however, have slowed down since 2023, when historically elevated mortgage rates and sky-high prices started to put a damper on demand. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 But the Falcons weren’t in the mood Sunday night to let anything put a damper on their breakout pass-rushing performance. Josh Kendall, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 So that put a damper on our relationship for a little bit. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025 In 2024, late-season injuries to their top two signal-callers (Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields) put a damper on an otherwise successful season. Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for put a damper on

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Cite this Entry

“Put a damper on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20a%20damper%20on. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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