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
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Recent Examples of dampening
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
And that lack of housing has the effect of holding back household formation and dampening economic activity.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Borderlands 4 is a great game, but one hampered by a number of performance issues that are dampening enthusiasm across console and especially PC players.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
By dampening activity only in these areas, RAP-219 is designed to dial down seizures without triggering any sedating/motor function side effects often associated with broader-acting drugs.
—New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2025
The devices nearly saturated the ground, and boosted humidity in the grove by 20%, dampening fire spread, Zwierzchowski said.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Tariffs are dampening consumer and corporate demand, dragging on GDP.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Year to year, too, the season swings wildly, soaking the desert one summer and barely dampening it the next.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
From lubricated stabilizers to two sound-dampening foam layers beneath a stainless steel plate, the board's components seem built to last.
—PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
And that lack of housing has the effect of holding back household formation and dampening economic activity.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Borderlands 4 is a great game, but one hampered by a number of performance issues that are dampening enthusiasm across console and especially PC players.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
By dampening activity only in these areas, RAP-219 is designed to dial down seizures without triggering any sedating/motor function side effects often associated with broader-acting drugs.
—New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2025
The devices nearly saturated the ground, and boosted humidity in the grove by 20%, dampening fire spread, Zwierzchowski said.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Tariffs are dampening consumer and corporate demand, dragging on GDP.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Year to year, too, the season swings wildly, soaking the desert one summer and barely dampening it the next.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
From lubricated stabilizers to two sound-dampening foam layers beneath a stainless steel plate, the board's components seem built to last.
—PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampening
Verb
-
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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Making the swap can save you from packing three extra shoes in your bag, reducing your luggage weight considerably.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Since 2000, investments in reducing malaria have prevented more than 2 billion cases and nearly 13 million deaths, according to the World Health Organization, but recent foreign aid cuts are putting programs to control and eliminate the disease at risk.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And, frankly, James Comey is one of the main culprits in undermining the public's trust in agencies like the FBI.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Negotiations serve not only to address collective goods but also increasingly to secure geopolitical advantage, often undermining cooperative outcomes.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What sold me on the Shapton set was the process of wetting the whetstones.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Increase the resistance on this exercise by wetting the towel first.—
Aubrey Bailey,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That action led the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to issue a landmark ruling in June blunting the power of judges.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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But many are now finding that geopolitics is blunting their ambitions.—
Joyce Jiang,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If the economy is not weakening, but strengthening, the outlook for inflation could tilt higher.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Equal-weight consumer discretionary has been under a bit of pressure, with restaurant and travel names weakening, and is now clearly underperforming the broad market on a one-year basis.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Together, these ingredients create a gentle, yet powerful, solution that restores shine to stainless steel without dulling its finish.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Sep. 2025
-
In parts of Southeast Asia, totality will begin as the full moon rises, dulling the effect.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead of reconnecting, conversations with Ella have become draining and repetitive.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
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Soil Any average well-draining soil is fine because these plants are used to tough conditions and adapt well to a variety of soil types.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dampening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampening. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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