1
as in speechless
unable to speak
the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Tim Graham, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
In the book, the character of Kenny is actually quite mute in a way.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Chris Smith, BGR, 18 May 2022
Aminatta had come to Kissy from a crowded low-income neighborhood in the city, mute and immobile with a depression that had never been treated.
—New York Times, 11 Apr. 2022
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Extreme drought, excessive rainfall and warm periods, however, can mute the range of fall colors.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mute
Adjective
All that talk about hunger, coupled with Chicago scoring touchdowns on four of its first five possessions, led usually mute linebacker Matt Milano to utter his first words of the series.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
In the book, the character of Kenny is actually quite mute in a way.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
Other nice-to-have features include some ruggedness in the design, so the phone doesn’t need a case, IP68 water, and dust resistance, a hardware mute switch, and eSIM support.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 18 May 2022
Aminatta had come to Kissy from a crowded low-income neighborhood in the city, mute and immobile with a depression that had never been treated.
—New York Times, 11 Apr. 2022
Verb
The thrills are there, but muted.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Extreme drought, excessive rainfall and warm periods, however, can mute the range of fall colors.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
-
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
-
Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Owners also must have measures in place to ensure that cannabis is not stolen or diverted, including programs to track each piece of cannabis that enters and leaves their store, as well as more traditional security systems, such as video-surveillance systems and a silent alarm.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
If any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent.—
Joshua Rhett Miller
Jesus Mesa
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Voices of Light will not be silenced.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
As China develops anti-satellite weapons and Russia perfects electronic warfare tactics, the US military is making a strategic bet on navigation systems that adversaries cannot silence.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While Hazel Avenue is a busy street, traffic cannot be heard from inside the house and is muffled in the front yard.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Wind and road noise were nicely muted with the top up, and thanks to the 911’s sleek figure and retracting wind deflector—which doesn’t automatically deploy, thankfully—wind noise was impressively muffled at highway pace.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Markets were relatively muted on Friday.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The soft, muted tones of the jewels and beads used throughout the garment created an incandescent quality.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
11 Sep. 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
-
In the background of the video, the 35-year-old could be heard mumbling offscreen before Megan playfully shushed him.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
But even as new tools and strategies emerge to quiet the seas, the legal foundation that has long safeguarded marine life is under pressure.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The researchers suggest that therapy and targeted coaching, including interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, could help people quiet their inner critics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His commentary is equally free of snobbery and of attempts to dumb anything down.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
-
Even in highly specialized sectors like aerospace and defense, the best stories don’t dumb things down.—
Heather Rosenow,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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