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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dampening
Moreover, persistent uncertainty is also dampening economic activity.
—
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Rising insurance costs, intensifying storms and growing awareness of flood risks are already dampening home sales in some communities − and thus opportunities to simply hand over one’s risk to someone else and move on.
—Debolina Banerjee, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Reading poetry out loud also requires us to pause for punctuation or line breaks, increasing our parasympathetic tone and dampening our hyperactive sympathetic nervous system.
—K.j.s. “sunny” Anand, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Today, Vance was back on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast to take another kick at dampening the outrage and calls for consequences for the Young Republicans’ pro-Nazis, pro-rape and racist statements.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
In addition to adding decorative flair to windows and doors, these multipurpose window treatments promote privacy and block light, with many designs offering temperature-regulating and sound-dampening qualities to boot.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
The result has been higher long-term borrowing costs, further dampening investment.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Loop’s Experience line is specially made for concerts by dampening the decibels without sacrificing the performer’s sound quality.
—Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
That lack of housing, according to Carroll, has the effect of holding back household formation and dampening economic activity.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Rising insurance costs, intensifying storms and growing awareness of flood risks are already dampening home sales in some communities − and thus opportunities to simply hand over one’s risk to someone else and move on.
—Debolina Banerjee, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Reading poetry out loud also requires us to pause for punctuation or line breaks, increasing our parasympathetic tone and dampening our hyperactive sympathetic nervous system.
—K.j.s. “sunny” Anand, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Today, Vance was back on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast to take another kick at dampening the outrage and calls for consequences for the Young Republicans’ pro-Nazis, pro-rape and racist statements.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
In addition to adding decorative flair to windows and doors, these multipurpose window treatments promote privacy and block light, with many designs offering temperature-regulating and sound-dampening qualities to boot.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
The result has been higher long-term borrowing costs, further dampening investment.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Loop’s Experience line is specially made for concerts by dampening the decibels without sacrificing the performer’s sound quality.
—Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
That lack of housing, according to Carroll, has the effect of holding back household formation and dampening economic activity.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampening
Verb
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By adding Titanal to its lightweight build, Head gave the Kore more stability and damping without losing its playful, easygoing feel.—
Outside,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
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The active damping system, the company said, increases off-road speed while boosting gunners’ hit probability and extending the life of subsystems.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to the current lawsuit, Fletcher has not paid his half of the minimum $1,500 per month restitution for the existing settlement, but his ex-wife has paid her portion, reducing the restitution balance to just under $56,000.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Nov. 2025
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These are all part of standard advice for good sleep hygiene, which also includes reducing screen use before bed and creating a regular evening routine, like reading or listening to calming music.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As a result, parents who schedule vacations during the school year often find themselves at odds with both attendance policies and administrators like Johnson, who see such decisions as undermining classroom continuity and accountability.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Curse builds a complex internal mythology using clips from fake reality TV series and faux newscasts, steadily undermining the viewer's sense of reality by combining sinister figures from Japanese folklore with an overwhelming sense of impending doom.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What sold me on the Shapton set was the process of wetting the whetstones.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 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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San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who sits on the water authority’s board of directors, asked officials to gather more options for blunting the impact of rate hikes.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Oct. 2025
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Many shutdowns have largely played out over the weekend, blunting the impact, according to the CRFB.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ocean acidification is weakening the teeth of sharks.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The free-trade agenda sought to deregulate the labor market and prioritize market efficiency, strengthening the hands of employers and severely weakening union and social movements, as anti-free traders had predicted.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Warm kitchens speed up staling and fat oxidation, dulling flavors faster.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
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In Party of Two—the fifth novel in a series featuring the same group of friends—the protagonist, Olivia, has to navigate the spotlight that comes with dating a senator without dulling her own ambitions.—
Karen Ostergren,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the moments before Murphy’s goal, Jarrod Bowen had struck the right post, but the sense of hope draining from West Ham’s ground was lost on Howe’s players.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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According to the GoFundMe, which was started by Wall, Leo is facing a long recovery and currently has a tube draining saliva.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dampening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampening. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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