1
as in to moisten
to make or become slightly or moderately wet
dampen a paper towel with water and use it to clean up the mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
the oppressive heat dampened our spirits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
nothing could dampen their enthusiasm
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dampen
Rising inventory levels are giving buyers more options and better negotiating power, but historically high home prices and mortgage rates still hovering between 6 and 7 percent are still dampening demand.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Admittedly, Trump’s trade war has dampened the steady growth of the fledgling beauty brand.
—Bianca Salonga, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Editors’ Picks How an American Sign Language Artist Spends Their Sundays
The start-and-stop nature of the rollout of tariffs has also roiled the stock market and dampened consumer confidence as people have hunkered down.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Instead, there were flyovers but the day was dampened by rain.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dampen
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Admittedly, Trump’s trade war has dampened the steady growth of the fledgling beauty brand.
—Bianca Salonga, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Editors’ Picks How an American Sign Language Artist Spends Their Sundays
The start-and-stop nature of the rollout of tariffs has also roiled the stock market and dampened consumer confidence as people have hunkered down.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Instead, there were flyovers but the day was dampened by rain.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dampen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampen
Verb
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Stir in the warm water until mixture is moistened.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Apr. 2025
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Each wipe comes well-moistened, and gently removed a full-face of product, from foundation to waterproof mascara.—
Stacia Datskovska,
WWD,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The goal of this prescribed burn is to decrease the existing fire hazard and to prevent and reduce the impact of future fires in the area.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Keeping yourself hydrated and reducing your salt intake may also help reduce bloating and help your body rid itself of excess fluid. Types of Creatine Several types of creatine are used in supplements.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This kind of long-term vision is undermined by drastic and unpredictable trade policies.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
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Miranda Jeyaretnam and Chad de Guzman reported on April 30, 2025, for the 50th anniversary of the war’s end, on how President Donald Trump is undermining U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Ride quality is good in the Privilege AWD as this car has active air suspension with continuous damping control.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Optional Dynamic Suspension Adjustment can tweak the damping, spring rate, and load compensation on the fly.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, a more constrained and domestically focused healthcare agenda is likely to diminish trust in federal health agencies, limit access to culturally competent care and produce a loss of global leadership in health innovation.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Whereas a decline in home values diminishes the equity investors might hold in their properties, which limits their ability to leverage assets for additional investments or refinancing opportunities.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
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As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Diagnosis Exams typically begin with a thorough medical history because there is a genetic component to wet AMD, and other health factors can raise your risk.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
7 Apr. 2025
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Serve Use a lime wedge to wet the rim and the side of the bottle.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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By studying the images, engineers can confirm and enhance the sonic-boom-deadening properties for the XB-1's airframe.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2025
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Lightweight glass, a reduction of sound-deadening materials, and the marginally lighter 6-speed manual gearbox help the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet weigh 3,505 pounds—the company's lightest manual open-roof variant.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dampen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampen. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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