1
as in quieted
mostly or entirely without sound
the muted cry of a frightened witness to a murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subdued
not excessively showy
painted with muted colors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in silent
deliberately refraining from speech
she was unexpectedly muted in the presence of her literary idol
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in muffled
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
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 muted
Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
The label features a delicate garland stripe of winter berries and alternating stars set against a muted sage backdrop reminiscent of winter foliage.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images While the impact so far this year has been muted, tariffs are expected to catch up with prices consumers pay just in time for the holiday shopping season.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muted
Adjective
His muted involvement in the race marks a sharp contrast with the White House’s aggressive push earlier this year to promote its signature tax and spending bill across key battleground states.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
The label features a delicate garland stripe of winter berries and alternating stars set against a muted sage backdrop reminiscent of winter foliage.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
Sure there were some TV ads and billboards on inland highways, but the impact proved muted.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images While the impact so far this year has been muted, tariffs are expected to catch up with prices consumers pay just in time for the holiday shopping season.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muted
Adjective
-
While Nash-Betts wore a plunging electric blue gown with a mermaid silhouette, Betts coordinated in a snakeskin trenchcoat with a more subdued shade of blue.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Fernandez decorated the home’s interiors with a warm, subdued palette to give the place a serene family-friendly vibe.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But New Delhi remained notably silent on the subject of domestic repression.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
The room was silent, save for the heavy, mechanized breathing of the huge man in black armor standing to one side of the throne dais.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Jena asked, for which she was shushed), that was spotted and strong enough to kill a man.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The boy buried his face in his hands, and the thick nest of hair shook as if in a wind, and the sobs, though muffled, grew louder.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Ignore that muffled screaming in the distance, that’s just the TV overlords punching air.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Chicago Bears were relatively quiet ahead of the NFL trade deadline.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Hotel Fasano São Paulo Itaim Consistently top-notch, from the beds to the dining, Hotel Fasano exudes quiet luxury.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Over the next several weeks, Fan was beaten, starved, and restrained.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Special shout-out to Harper’s performance, which strikes me as a restrained cousin to John Cleese’s turn as Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Features like undo/redo, mute/unmute, scrolling, and taking screenshots are instantly accessible, significantly speeding up the workflow.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
-
That mute minute in an otherwise ever-bobbing, ever-shouting crowd (a portion of which camped outside the Spectrum Center) was a testament to Eilish’s ability to hold her own on a stage that — other than the occasional burst of fire and blitzing lights — had little frill.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
High school students must store their devices with ringers silenced, and may not use them during instructional time.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In an hour’s span, three trucks leaving the construction site silenced the conversation, growling loudly down Rockland Drive.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muted. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share