DUMBS Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

dumbs

verb

present tense third-person singular of dumb

as in quiets

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbs

Verb

One of the chiefs, Joseph Pawnee-no-pashe (also known as Governor Joe), quiets him.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
Thursday's layoffs data showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which quiets some of the week-to-week noise, fell by 2,500 to 222,000.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of quiets

Verb

The boom automatically mutes the microphone when lifted and can answer incoming calls simply by being lowered.

— Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Using a vegetable peeler, shave a modest amount of Parmesan onto a plate (a mound of grated Parmesan may look impressive, but all that clumpy cheese mutes the dressing).

— Sue Li, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 June 2026

Definition of mutes

Verb

This fails to mention that partisan gerrymandering silences the voices of the voters in the district who deserve representation, especially voters from underrepresented groups that are disproportionately affected by these efforts.

— Reese Ritter, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Shame shrinks us and silences our stories.

— Carolyn O'Laughlin, CNN Money, 28 June 2026

Definition of silences

Verb

Named for nebbia, the Italian word for the heavy layer of fog that settles over the vineyards around harvest time in early autumn, Nebbiolo has been cultivated in Piedmont for more than 750 years.

— Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026
Then the camera settles on Anna’s face and stays there long enough to watch her smile give out, a choice Adams says wasn’t necessarily written that way.

— JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026

Definition of settles

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.

Browse Nearby Words

dumbness

dumbs

dumbs down

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dumbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbs. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dumbs

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

élan

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes