dampening

verb

present participle of dampen
1
as in damping
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 reducing
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the oppressive heat dampened our spirits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality nothing could dampen their enthusiasm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dampening The Iran war sparked a rise of inflation earlier this year, squeezing household budgets and dampening consumer sentiment. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026 Results also favored Democrats in statewide races for governor and attorney general and the party scored key victories in a slew of state legislature contests, significantly dampening Republicans’ grip on Topeka politics. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026 Chris Costagli, a vice president and food thought leader at NielsenIQ, said high gas prices have worsened Americans’ concerns about affordability, and that’s dampening demand for Halloween treats. — Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 An improved suspension helped, as did the additional sound dampening made possible by its unified construction. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 The rise in interest rates could put pressure on Wall Street firms’ trading returns, while also dampening the outlook for the IPO market and dealmaking, as well as the consumer. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 As a result, this yield spike is driving mortgage rates higher, dampening housing demand among homebuyers. — CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 But El Niño can disrupt the winds, dampening upwelling and reducing the food supply. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Acoustic noise-dampening panels compliment the design, while fully-adjustable, electric standing desks make working or in-room dining comfortable. — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampening
  1. damping
  2. reducing
  3. undermining
  4. wetting
  5. blunting
  6. weakening
  7. moistening
  8. dulling
Verb
  • Suspension is taken care of by 43-mm upside-down forks with adjustable rebound and compression damping, and an adjustable central spring strut at the rear.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The preset low-speed compression and rebound damping settings can be fine-tuned further with twelve clicks of compression adjustment and sixteen clicks of rebound adjustment.
    — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of damping
Verb
  • The new councilmember will face pressure to increase revenue and cut costs without reducing access to city services or compromising their quality.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The legislation would give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission greater authority over cryptocurrency trading while reducing the Securities and Exchange Commission's role in overseeing certain digital assets.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • At the time of the last catastrophe, a convulsive shift in media consumption began undermining the value of the legacy distribution scheme, which in turn led to grave uncertainties related to revenue sharing.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • More fundamentally, Vietnam showed that misadventures abroad could boomerang, weakening American democracy and societal cohesion and, ultimately, undermining the country’s international standing.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.
    — Aya Diab, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For best results, water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing moisture to soak into the root zone rather than wetting the foliage, says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wetting
Verb
  • Alaska could either add to the Democrats' majority, or deliver some relief to Republicans by blunting additional Democratic gains.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In theory, the clearinghouse would monitor the speed of AI growth without blunting the nation’s competitive advantage.
    — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of blunting
Verb
  • The victory came after a Republican redistricting effort aimed at weakening Latino voting power backfired.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • And the indicators tell you whether those conditions are strengthening or weakening.
    — Allison Mais, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • The next several days will see a cooling and moistening trend in both the Bay Area and Central Coast; temperatures are expected to be well below seasonal averages.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For this, Langelo recommends moistening the soil to make the weeds easier to pull.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of moistening
Verb
  • Essentially, the toothpaste gently smooths the area around the scratch, dulling its appearance—much like a gentle polish.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Extreme weather events, such as drought or heavy rainfall, also stress trees and can trigger them to rapidly protect themselves by more rapidly pulling in the chlorophyll from their leaves, dulling fall colors.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dulling

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Cite this Entry

“Dampening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampening. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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