1
as in speechless
unable to speak
the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silent
deliberately refraining from speech
remained mute no matter how much we pleaded for an answer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quieter
a device on a musical instrument that deadens or softens its tone
I was practicing my trumpet at three in the morning when the mute fell out, and I managed to wake everyone up
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to muffle
to deaden the sound of
closing the windows muted the traffic noise so we could get to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mute
George Yang, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026
Put the brain on mute and just enjoy.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
Detwiler mutes or turns off the bodycam a few times throughout the arrest.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Some gadgets work like escape hatches, designed to mute the noise of life and transport you to a safe space.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mute
Adjective
The microphone also has a tap-to-mute sensor that allows users to quickly manage what's heard through it.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026
Put the brain on mute and just enjoy.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
The mutes, the dropouts, the sense that an idea had sprung from the artist’s chest, been scrambled into code, then reassembled in a fugue.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
Detwiler mutes or turns off the bodycam a few times throughout the arrest.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
Market reaction was muted shortly after the judgment, with the rand currency, the barometer of investor confidence, little changed.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Some gadgets work like escape hatches, designed to mute the noise of life and transport you to a safe space.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mute
Adjective
-
His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
Adjective
-
Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
My cancer was so silent that two gynecologists hadn’t considered it as a possible diagnosis, and at least one radiologist had entirely missed my tumor—as wide as a peach and as long as my hand.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The spoon is a typical food-safe spoon that doubles as a tool to silence your phone using an NFC (near field communication) chip that simply connects to your device.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
In the Commonwealth Athletic Conference, Jake Carr tallied three hits, four runs, and 3 RBI as Shawsheen (10-3) silenced Greater Lawrence 18-0 in 5 innings.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
As Eileen was illegitimate and a source of great shame for the family, her aunt tried to muffle signs of her presence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
Everything feels muffled, with such heavy carpeting.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
Moreover, the brand’s growth in Europe, Middle East and Africa was impacted by muted consumer sentiment in Europe due to both higher energy costs and inflation and because the conflict impacted the brand’s ability to ship into the Middle East.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
This can put a damper on productivity for business travelers, but has nothing to do with the hotel (and everything to do with government regulations).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
The vehicle also features a closed dual-chamber air suspension system and dual-valve CCD electromagnetic dampers designed to improve ride comfort, stability, and handling dynamics.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
My mother would shush him and change the subject.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
To the point where Reid shushed him down at times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The employees will either be able to reach out to the culprit to quiet things down, or could transfer you to another room if the commotion doesn’t quit.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
-
If a few voices drive the conversation, removing them could quiet the noise.—
Yu-Ru Lin,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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