as in to calm
to free from distress or disturbance
becalmed at last, she slept soundly for the first time in weeks
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Recent Examples of becalm
Within an hour of pushing off, though, we were becalmed and drifted straight toward Faith Hill’s house.
—
Porter Fox, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019
But if the world’s major central banks are moving in lockstep and bond yields are becalmed at low levels, there’s less opportunity to make money.
—Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019
Eighteenth-century sailors referred to this part of the Atlantic as the horse latitudes because, the story goes, ships would get becalmed there and have to dump their horses overboard as freshwater supplies dwindled.
—David Doubilet, National Geographic, 12 June 2019
But with his party becalmed at around just 20% in the polls, Mr Sánchez wants his Socialists, with just 84 of the 350 seats in parliament, to govern alone for an unspecified period.
—The Economist, 31 May 2018
In some of Paglen’s works, drones are seen as nothing more than a dark speck against a backdrop of becalming gray or sun-gold clouds, a way of denoting their possibly sinister near invisibility in our world.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 31 May 2018
What is the value of clean, unchemical thinking, and where’s the narrative rush of a life becalmed?
—Beth Kephart, chicagotribune.com, 2 Apr. 2018
This becalmed, majestic figure feels like a monument or a memorial, an avatar of female authority whose glamour, while alluring, telegraphs depth rather than surface.
—Rhonda Garelick, The Cut, 14 Feb. 2018
Porter Fox, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019
But if the world’s major central banks are moving in lockstep and bond yields are becalmed at low levels, there’s less opportunity to make money.
—Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019
Eighteenth-century sailors referred to this part of the Atlantic as the horse latitudes because, the story goes, ships would get becalmed there and have to dump their horses overboard as freshwater supplies dwindled.
—David Doubilet, National Geographic, 12 June 2019
But with his party becalmed at around just 20% in the polls, Mr Sánchez wants his Socialists, with just 84 of the 350 seats in parliament, to govern alone for an unspecified period.
—The Economist, 31 May 2018
In some of Paglen’s works, drones are seen as nothing more than a dark speck against a backdrop of becalming gray or sun-gold clouds, a way of denoting their possibly sinister near invisibility in our world.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 31 May 2018
What is the value of clean, unchemical thinking, and where’s the narrative rush of a life becalmed?
—Beth Kephart, chicagotribune.com, 2 Apr. 2018
This becalmed, majestic figure feels like a monument or a memorial, an avatar of female authority whose glamour, while alluring, telegraphs depth rather than surface.
—Rhonda Garelick, The Cut, 14 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for becalm
Verb
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Its deep celestial blue translates into a sophisticated, calming backdrop for the home, working across coastal designs and modern interiors alike.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
15 May 2026
-
After the explosive energy of the first two tracks, things calm way down.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The promises of jobs and tax money didn’t soothe the vocal crowd that had to be silenced several times by Gary Board of Zoning Appeals president Rinzer Williams.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
The separation pampered white prejudices and soothed white conscience and stomachs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Light energy harnessed in the real world was now playing through the radio of his car in the dream world in the form of melodious static that lulled him either to sleep soundly or to be sound asleep.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Don't let the name Wind Cave National Park lull you into thinking only of the dark and mysterious catacombs of the cave.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
That song was actually composed by someone from Street Mob from Ensenada.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Such stars are the key quarry that JWST was designed for—stellar orbs composed of the pristine, primordial hydrogen and helium gas that was summoned into being by the big bang.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Becalm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/becalm. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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