1
as in to moisten
to make or become slightly or moderately wet
dampen a paper towel with water and use it to clean up the mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reduce
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
the oppressive heat dampened our spirits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
nothing could dampen their enthusiasm
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dampen
Protests across the city and in suburbs have pushed back on the recent influx of agents, which appeared to dampen Mexican Independence Day celebrations last weekend, and immigration arrests were reported across the region early this week.
—
Jake Sheridan, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
However, conflict with a co-worker or possibly about a pet might dampen your spirits.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Lowering the short-term interest rate would make commercial financing cheaper, which boosts profit rates to dampen the business cycle and spur investment.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
But none of this has dampened the their desires to train and compete.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dampen
Jake Sheridan, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
However, conflict with a co-worker or possibly about a pet might dampen your spirits.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Lowering the short-term interest rate would make commercial financing cheaper, which boosts profit rates to dampen the business cycle and spur investment.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
But none of this has dampened the their desires to train and compete.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dampen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dampen
Verb
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Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened and broken down, adding water as needed to keep moistened, 45 minutes to 1 hour.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
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This blaze is intense enough that firefighters used water lines to moisten the soil around trees and wrapped their trunks with fire-resistant foil blankets.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The weapon can also fly more than 45 miles to strike mobile targets, reducing the amount of time that aircrews spend in harm’s way.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
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Robert Shapiro, a professor of government and public affairs at Columbia University, questioned whether the removal of social media would meaningfully reduce the likelihood of political violence.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, submitting the list only weeks before the fiscal year ends, lawmakers must choose between accepting the plan and risking undermining Congress’s decisions on federal spending, or fighting and risking the money disappearing when the deadline passes, the paper added.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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The survey also undermines the argument that tariffs will simply be a one-time price adjustment.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first system is forecast to arrive early Monday, followed by a second on Wednesday, keeping the capital region damp and breezy through Thursday.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Use a brush or damp sponge to scrub the area, and then rinse it with water and dry with a clean cloth.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Zeldin’s cuts have diminished the EPA’s staffing levels, even before Congress has had a chance to weigh in, affecting the environment, public health and government transparency.—
Chris Sellers,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
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Though the region’s trade reliance on Washington has rapidly diminished as China has become its biggest market, several nations still rely on the US for a large share of their exports, the loss of which would put millions of livelihoods at risk.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And, in the process, weakening the ability of American tech companies, many of them based in California, to achieve their goals.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
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Winds will continue to weaken later in the afternoon, while flooding across the high terrain in the Central Azores is also expected to subside.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Spray the door generously with cleaner or use a microfiber cloth to wet the door with the diluted vinegar mixture.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Sep. 2025
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Before going in, run the inside of your mouth with your tongue to wet every surface.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Thin sound deadening The Enabling Technology prize went to CompositeEdge GmbH and ATA Mute BV for a new kind of sound deadening.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
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Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dampen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dampen. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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