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
as in silence
incapacity for or restraint from speaking
we were baffled by his uncharacteristic muteness
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
Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
Despite its severity, the overall impact of the disease in the Americas has remained muted for two main reasons.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Her media muteness gave her an icy cool, letting her work do the talking, both attributes that many luxury brands aspire to.
—Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
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
There are additional buttons for pairing via Bluetooth and muting the microphone.
—Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
Despite its severity, the overall impact of the disease in the Americas has remained muted for two main reasons.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Noun
Audrey Hudson, twenty-four, is a gifted battlefield surgeon who feigns muteness to comfort Carter Reynolds, a combat soldier deafened by an explosion.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Her media muteness gave her an icy cool, letting her work do the talking, both attributes that many luxury brands aspire to.
—Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
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
-
That, or the PGA of America dialed things up to silence the haters.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
The commission hopes its report will silence those who doubted survivors' stories, Elkayam-Levy says.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The sound-muffling fabrics, carpets, ceiling tiles, tablecloths and rugs that used to decorate restaurants are deemed too stuffy these days, and even upholstered booths are being replaced by more barebones tables — and lots of them, close together.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
13 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
-
After all, nothing puts a damper on a travel outfit quicker than creases from being stuffed inside luggage.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The Giants offense got shushed Wednesday night by Shohei Ohtani, and their hitters went down almost as quietly against right-hander Emmet Sheehan.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
My mother would shush him and change the subject.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Finns often say sauna is a place to quiet both the body and the mind.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Expansion could quiet college coaches’ saber-rattling about canceling marquee nonconference games.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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