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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
nothing could dampen their enthusiasm
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dampen
But her athletic triumph was tragically dampened by years of abuse at the hands of her husband and coach Jim Martin, who in 2010 attempted to murder her, stabbing her many times, slicing the flesh off the bone from her leg, and shooting her.
—
Esther Zuckerman, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Growing up during the Lebanese Civil War, famed architect and designer Aline Asmar d’Amman was often cozied in her room, her nose buried in a book to dampen the noise from the bombs outside.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
These comments come as factions of the GOP have fought to dampen the heat from this issue since July.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
Inputs that arrive in sync with the rhythm are amplified, while those that come at the wrong moment are dampened or ignored.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dampen
Esther Zuckerman, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Growing up during the Lebanese Civil War, famed architect and designer Aline Asmar d’Amman was often cozied in her room, her nose buried in a book to dampen the noise from the bombs outside.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
These comments come as factions of the GOP have fought to dampen the heat from this issue since July.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
Inputs that arrive in sync with the rhythm are amplified, while those that come at the wrong moment are dampened or ignored.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dampen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampen
Verb
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Backfill the area with soil to cover the roots, tamp it down to get rid of any air pockets, and water to moisten the soil thoroughly.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
-
That could explain the oxygen released from the Mars soil sample when moistened.—
Joel S. Levine,
The Conversation,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, its Supreme Court is moving to hold a former president accountable for allegedly trying to undermine democracy and steer the country back toward authoritarian rule.—
Júlia Dias Carneiro,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
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Failing to meet that obligation undermines not only educational opportunity, but also the sovereignty, economic vitality, and cultural survival of Tribal nations.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mop the floor once again with the clean, damp mop to thoroughly remove any residue.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
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The 2010 Land Art Generator Initiative entry even proposed hydraulic damping in the base to scavenge more energy from each gust.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That transition will bring with it some advantages (the conflict of being a part of the Comcast empire is diminished) but also challenges.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
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Many observers feel that the family’s power in Thailand is diminished, and its long dominant political machine could finally be out of steam.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Before going in, run the inside of your mouth with your tongue to wet every surface.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
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Increase the resistance on this exercise by wetting the towel first.—
Aubrey Bailey,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Horror of this scale has the effect of deadening words, making stories of the most unimaginable violence land with a dull thud.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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The Finnish midfielder deadened the ball with a foot and quickly chipped it laterally over nearby defenders.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dampen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampen. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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