damps

verb

present tense third-person singular of damp
1
as in undermines
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality refused to let the setbacks damp his drive for success

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dampens
to make or become slightly or moderately wet damp the shirt slightly before ironing it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reduces
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling nothing seemed to damp the unwelcome attentions of her suitor

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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 damps Ash wood damps the micro-vibrations of rough urban pavement in a way aluminum and steel can't match without extra engineering. — Omar Kardoudi april 15, New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2026 While the standard model damps the road irregularities, the S feels more glued down, even in its softest setting, Sport. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damps
  1. undermines
  2. dampens
  3. reduces
  4. weakens
  5. moistens
  6. deadens
  7. exhausts
  8. wets
Verb
  • Side effects Clozapine’s most notable adverse effect is agranulocytosis, in which an extreme reduction of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, undermines the body’s ability to defend against infection.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Self-awareness bolsters leadership while self-surveillance nearly always undermines it.
    — Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • That’s in no small part because of a strong, brewing El Niño, which typically dampens Atlantic hurricanes with unfavorable wind conditions.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Science Behind The Concept Research indicates that music reduces cortisol levels​, the stress hormone that impairs decision-making and dampens focus.
    — Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dampens
Verb
  • Billable hour pressure The billable hour is central to the business model of many law firms, but when AI significantly reduces the time lawyers spend sifting through and drafting documents, the economics are no longer so straightforward.
    — Lindsay Dodgson, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
  • It can also be equipped with an SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system that reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 70 percent to meet IMO Tier III regulations.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduces
Verb
  • Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive.
    — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Research shows that people who share their goals publicly are less likely to achieve them, since talking about them creates a premature sense of accomplishment and weakens the drive to do the work.
    — Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Buttermilk makes this cake tender while adding vegetable oil moistens the cake.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
  • Users place the pouch between the gum and upper lip, where saliva moistens it and releases nicotine.
    — Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 12 May 2026
Definition of moistens
Verb
  • Oppressively hot, lie-down-and-take-a-nap hot, hydration-break hot, the kind of hot that deadens feet.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of deadens
Verb
  • If the low-breadth market finally exhausts itself and rolls over, your capital at risk is mathematically capped at that 3%.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • Unfortunately, that only wets the top quarter inch of soil—a feel-good move for gardeners but not for roots.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026
  • Another Pearl Girl wets herself when the Eyes come for Thalia.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Definition of wets

Browse Nearby Words

dampness
damps
dams
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Cite this Entry

“Damps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damps. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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