1
as in speechless
unable to speak
the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
Today, the buildings stand as mute witnesses to the mobilization of past war efforts.
—Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Chris Smith, BGR, 18 May 2022
Aminatta had come to Kissy from a crowded low-income neighborhood in the city, mute and immobile with a depression that had never been treated.
—New York Times, 11 Apr. 2022
Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
Market reaction to the QFI consultation was muted, in contrast to the buying spree triggered by potential lifting of foreign ownership limits.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mute
Adjective
The Silent Sinner, made by Campanacci’s CampanacCinema Studios, is mostly silent — Skrzynecka’s femme fatale is both deaf and mute — relying on music and montage to hold the audience’s attention.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
Today, the buildings stand as mute witnesses to the mobilization of past war efforts.
—Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
Other nice-to-have features include some ruggedness in the design, so the phone doesn’t need a case, IP68 water, and dust resistance, a hardware mute switch, and eSIM support.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 18 May 2022
Aminatta had come to Kissy from a crowded low-income neighborhood in the city, mute and immobile with a depression that had never been treated.
—New York Times, 11 Apr. 2022
Verb
Miami went into the half with momentum and with the sellout crow in Tallahassee muted.
—Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
Market reaction to the QFI consultation was muted, in contrast to the buying spree triggered by potential lifting of foreign ownership limits.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 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
-
Later, when Doyle comes into some mysterious bags of cash, and heads toward the mainland with a bottle of booze, a boat, and one last chance to go out in a blaze of self-immolation, Farrell manages to mix dread and adrenaline into every silent expression.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
James Cook was kept relatively silent in this game with 87 yards on 17 carries.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Field hockey In the Middlesex league, Ava Anderson, Aisling Brennock, Sophia Setouhi and Kaylee Master each scored a goal while Natalia Keuchkarian got the shutout as Watertown silenced Arlington 4-0.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The priest held up his hand to silence the crowd.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The audio is muffled and at times difficult to discern.—
Lucien Bruggeman,
ABC News,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The summer noise of saplings and shrubs and bug nests and grass and flowers had been muffled by the snow.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Max Studio London Godet Pleated Maxi Skirt Florals may be most commonly associated with the spring and summer, but opting for a darker, more muted shade allows the pattern to transition into the fall.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
But the colorful Diwali celebrations held annually in Indian-American communities throughout the United States are more muted this year compared to the past.—
Angela Chitkara,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Besides, if quarterly reporting is such a damper on long-term investment, someone forgot to tell big tech.—
Richard Torrenzano,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Only on particularly bumpy tarmac did the GTS-spec suspension become too jarring with the adaptive dampers stiffened up in sport mode, but switching them to normal offered the best of both worlds—excellent, composed body control and tuning that ironed out imperfections remarkably well.—
Peter Nelson,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the clip, the then-6-year-old can be seen walking with his iPad to the next room and shushing everyone.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The View has a long history of guests receiving sustained standing ovations — and Goldberg attempting to shush rowdy audience members.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The man twirled a weighted knife in his fingers and looked down with cold eyes that quieted the couple.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
After painstaking efforts, Witkoff and Kushner emerged with the framework of an accord that promises, at least for now, to quiet one of the world's most destabilizing conflicts.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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