1
as in calming
to free from distress or disturbance
the nanny tried to quieten the children with assurances that help was on its way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quieting
to stop the noise or speech of
one young chap was trying to quieten down the group
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 quietening
The crowd, quietening into a slow clap with the moment building, burst into a celebration.
—
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quietening
Verb
-
Pair it with a calming playlist and deep breaths, and even a red-eye can feel restorative.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The back-and-forth with vendors is something Saks Global has had to deal with repeatedly over the past year — writing letters to brands, calming nerves with reassuring phone calls, trying to temper the cocktail party rumor circuit and in the courts.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The books also model subtler tactics for quieting the fawner’s social impulses.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Dave Chappelle – Live July 14, 2023 Comedy at this scale functions strangely — a stadium quieting itself to hear one person think out loud.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The rechargeable bulb, which lasts up to 72 hours, allows 12 color options beyond the typical warm white, from nervous system-soothing red (ideal for a bedtime wind down) to mood-boosting blue.—
Esme Benjamin,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Its 100 villas have ocean views, private outdoor spaces (many with pools), and soothing interiors with a clean-lined, modern Asian aesthetic.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On Sunday, Alnylam, the gene-silencing company that notched one gigantic accomplishment after another over the past five years, set out a plan for the next five years built on yet more innovation and growth.—
Matthew Herper,
STAT,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Asked Friday if his remarkably consistent performance on a defense that at times ran hot-cold around him was his way of silencing his critics, Heyward shrugged.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But life has a way of lulling you into complacency, and over time my eyes drifted less frequently to the sky.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
But the most common way the demons attacked was by lulling their victims into sleep.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After once rising from her seat to scold a man recording the broadcast on his phone to shushing in-studio viewers during an interview with Zohran Mamdani, Whoopi Goldberg just wrote another chapter in her comical relationship with The View's studio audience.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The snow was shushing off the roof of the garage and down on the driveway.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As a newcomer to composing and arranging for strings, Simon benefitted greatly by working with a group readily available for consultation and collaboration.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Azar says the whole process only takes her 10 minutes, from searching for the email, composing it, to hitting send.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
For much of the past year, neither side was willing to budge much from their respective stance, effectively muting any chance of a settlement.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
1 Dec. 2025
-
The shell has enough shape to ease pressure on bony spots of the foot, and the liner offers just enough cushion to keep toes warm and circulation flowing, without muting feedback.—
Jenny Wiegand,
Outside,
13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quietening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quietening. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
