as in to calm
to free from distress or disturbance
becalmed at last, she slept soundly for the first time in weeks
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Recent Examples of becalm
Within an hour of pushing off, though, we were becalmed and drifted straight toward Faith Hill’s house.
—
Porter Fox, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019
But if the world’s major central banks are moving in lockstep and bond yields are becalmed at low levels, there’s less opportunity to make money.
—Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019
Eighteenth-century sailors referred to this part of the Atlantic as the horse latitudes because, the story goes, ships would get becalmed there and have to dump their horses overboard as freshwater supplies dwindled.
—David Doubilet, National Geographic, 12 June 2019
But with his party becalmed at around just 20% in the polls, Mr Sánchez wants his Socialists, with just 84 of the 350 seats in parliament, to govern alone for an unspecified period.
—The Economist, 31 May 2018
In some of Paglen’s works, drones are seen as nothing more than a dark speck against a backdrop of becalming gray or sun-gold clouds, a way of denoting their possibly sinister near invisibility in our world.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 31 May 2018
What is the value of clean, unchemical thinking, and where’s the narrative rush of a life becalmed?
—Beth Kephart, chicagotribune.com, 2 Apr. 2018
This becalmed, majestic figure feels like a monument or a memorial, an avatar of female authority whose glamour, while alluring, telegraphs depth rather than surface.
—Rhonda Garelick, The Cut, 14 Feb. 2018
Porter Fox, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019
But if the world’s major central banks are moving in lockstep and bond yields are becalmed at low levels, there’s less opportunity to make money.
—Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019
Eighteenth-century sailors referred to this part of the Atlantic as the horse latitudes because, the story goes, ships would get becalmed there and have to dump their horses overboard as freshwater supplies dwindled.
—David Doubilet, National Geographic, 12 June 2019
But with his party becalmed at around just 20% in the polls, Mr Sánchez wants his Socialists, with just 84 of the 350 seats in parliament, to govern alone for an unspecified period.
—The Economist, 31 May 2018
In some of Paglen’s works, drones are seen as nothing more than a dark speck against a backdrop of becalming gray or sun-gold clouds, a way of denoting their possibly sinister near invisibility in our world.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 31 May 2018
What is the value of clean, unchemical thinking, and where’s the narrative rush of a life becalmed?
—Beth Kephart, chicagotribune.com, 2 Apr. 2018
This becalmed, majestic figure feels like a monument or a memorial, an avatar of female authority whose glamour, while alluring, telegraphs depth rather than surface.
—Rhonda Garelick, The Cut, 14 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for becalm
Verb
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If curating a regular and calming wind-down routine each night is not helping, talk to your doctor.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
23 Oct. 2025
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Other Democrats from Milwaukee have proposed $60 million in state grants for traffic calming infrastructure.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Glacial water helps rebalance minerals, squalane restores suppleness, and olive leaf extract soothes redness and helps keep breakouts in check with its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
18 Oct. 2025
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Pottery Barn’s outlet is filled with cozy fall quilts for every bed size and an array of seasonal hues, from soothing neutrals to dark statement colors.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At night, Umm Ahmad sang to you while the waters flowed through the meandering fields and formed a sweet, lulling sound around the village.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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Platforms had lulled users into complacent dependency, then sealed off the exits, revealing themselves as extractive monopolies.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Its mid-rise Harlow jeans are composed of a cotton and elastane blend, with a powder-blue hue and strategic hints of distressing down the leg.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
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This entire combo feels so effortless yet composed, the kind of outfit that looks intentional even after a red-eye.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Becalm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/becalm. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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