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
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
The film opens in silence, with Hamlet going straight from observing his father’s dead body to discovering that Claudius has decided to marry his mother (Sheeba Chaddha), and the actor’s mute bewilderment has genuine shock and power.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 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
Adam Dalva, Longreads, 29 Apr. 2026
Somewhat muted amid Pat Riley’s comments this week about the need for decisive Miami Heat change were cautionary words about a process that also could be deferred, put on hold.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 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
In it, a local TV meteorologist played by Emily Blunt goes mute mid-broadcast and comes out instead with a series of unintelligible noises that rivet viewers.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
The film opens in silence, with Hamlet going straight from observing his father’s dead body to discovering that Claudius has decided to marry his mother (Sheeba Chaddha), and the actor’s mute bewilderment has genuine shock and power.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 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
Eight months later, the noise is still muted.
—Adam Dalva, Longreads, 29 Apr. 2026
Somewhat muted amid Pat Riley’s comments this week about the need for decisive Miami Heat change were cautionary words about a process that also could be deferred, put on hold.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 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
-
In its megacities and beyond, traffic is increasingly falling silent, the dull whir of the electric motor replacing the purr of an internal combustion engine.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
This is where Audible will host events nearly every day this month, including author conversations, trivia, open mics, craft workshops and silent book clubs.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
First Amendment experts warn the bill could silence legitimate criticism and newsworthy reporting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
-
The silence is no longer just silence Taken together, the absence of both signals and physical visitation leads to a more quantitative conclusion than SETI has traditionally offered.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Soundcore Outdoor Speaker Deal The Soundcore Boom 2 is the ultimate vibe enforcer for those who refuse to let the outdoors muffle their soundtrack.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
21 Apr. 2026
-
He’s perched on the second floor above the courtyard, a few bustling parties muffled in the background.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its pretty plaid is in muted tones on good-quality, abrasion-resistant material, with a minimalist shape that anchors a room.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In their own muted ways, her colleagues agreed.—
Mark Dee
April 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Apr. 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
-
So, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has quieted some rebellious voices by campaigning for aggressively redrawn congressional maps, Democrats should be aware of how dogged their opponents are willing to get.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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Search revenue grew 17% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, quieting concerns over AI’s cannibalizing Google’s core business, and the company crossed $400 billion in annual revenue for the first time.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Get your humanness out on the page before the robots dumb your content down.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Warner Brothers waits to be subsumed by Netflix or Paramount, cinemas are losing customers to streaming, and franchise entertainment continues to dumb us all down.—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mute. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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