as in shushing
to stop the noise or speech of
the terrible news dumbed her for a long moment, and then she burst into tears
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbing
Verb
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Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026 -
Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As war descended on Iran, the regime once again cut off internet and communications across the country, controlling its people and silencing their messages of resilience.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Instead of silencing the public and turning them away, Democrats should stay and do the job they were elected to do.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So for anyone who’s struggling to create that distance, Jeter suggests starting small and committing to just one month of no direct communication—along with blocking or muting them online.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The two-year war that followed had a muting effect on deals between Israel and the UAE, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza created a PR catastrophe for Israelis in the Gulf.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
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Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
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One of the key lessons UConn’s veterans took from last year’s championship run was the importance of focus, of quieting the noise that surrounds the bracket and the program’s unmatched legacy of success.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
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Kimmel quotes from one popular manual, published in 1916, that advised quieting a crying baby by flipping it over and administering a vigorous spanking.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But ultimately investors remained on edge, with oil prices settling Friday at their highest level in more than three years.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
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The February Market Trends Housing Report from the Colorado Association of Realtors shows the mountain homes market settling after years of rapid growth, with buyers gaining more choices and sellers learning that patience and smart pricing matter.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dumbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbing. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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