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
Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
Use the mute features and select a nightstand that has a drawer or shelf where it can be concealed.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
New Atlas, 25 Dec. 2025
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
Douglas Goodwin, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
These sneakers will go with just about any casual outfit, and the blue shade is muted enough to go with outfits in different color palettes, too.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mute
Adjective
Three recent preprint papers that arrived within weeks of one another probe the possibility that dark matter is not a mute backdrop but an active participant in cosmic physics.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
Use the mute features and select a nightstand that has a drawer or shelf where it can be concealed.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Additional features include one-touch mute for up to 10 hours, micro-mesh insect protection, soft night lighting to minimize disturbance, and bilingual English and French voice alerts for multilingual households.
—New Atlas, 25 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
If every picture of a plant arrives with its greens muted into the same screen-safe range, that range becomes green.
—Douglas Goodwin, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
These sneakers will go with just about any casual outfit, and the blue shade is muted enough to go with outfits in different color palettes, too.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 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
-
Candidates who challenge the powerful can draw strong but silent support, because there is open fear of reprisals from city officials against those who back any challenger to the people in charge.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
First, there’s Green Chartreuse, a beguiling and almost hallucinogenically intense combination of 132 secret ingredients, which have been infused and distilled into high-proof alcohol by silent French monks since at least 1764, and probably quite a bit longer than that.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Derron Donaldson, director of racquets at Baha Mar, echoes the sentiment, also reminding spectators to silence phones.—
Rachel Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
The athleisure retailer reached a cooperation agreement with Wilson, adding two of his candidates to its board and silencing Wilson’s public criticism of the company for 18 months, writes Forbes senior contributor Pamela Danziger.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
But these suites are also closest to the elevators, and the historic walls don’t adequately muffle the sounds of other guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Nolan's team and IMAX worked together to create a special housing for the camera to muffle the sound of its operation.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
His trademark cool was sidelined by a more demonstrative style, closer to the theatrical sensibilities of 2Pac than the muted menace that once defined him.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
-
Breeding siblings The first step was to find a common bean plant with a muted In11 receptor.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Instead of shutting vents, consider having a professional install or adjust butterfly dampers at the main duct line for more effective and safe airflow control.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
-
That puts a damper on a season that has seen the White Sox start 30-27.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Wine country with kids in tow doesn’t have to mean a stressful afternoon of shushing and screen time.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
-
Turning to shush it, Adele saw Dean with his tongue in her mother’s mouth and his hand up under her minidress.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The selection may help the ruling coalition to quiet fears that Ramaphosa’s African National Congress party would install a loyalist to oversee a whitewash.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
3 June 2026
-
Ulloa stood up and clinked his glass to quiet the group.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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