Illustration of muff
muffed; muffing; muffs
1
: a bungling performance
2
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
Synonyms
Examples of muff in a Sentence
Verb
He muffed his chance for a promotion.
The outfielder muffed an easy catch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2024
Mendoza Alabama strikes first after Michigan muffs punt The first official mistake of the game comes from the Wolverines.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024
Tight end Evan Engram’s muff of a perfect pass by Lawrence led to a Titans interception, followed by a TD drive.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2024
Gaggles of young children wiggled around the stands, their mouths agape and their ears covered by muffs or a parent’s palms.
—Paul McAdory, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
Semaj Morgan muffs punt, Alabama recovers Michigan's defense came out firing and recorded two sacks on Alabama's first three plays to force a quick three-and-out, however, the Wolverines didn't get the ball back.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 1 Jan. 2024
Perfect for pairing with a matching faux fur jacket or fuzzy boots, these ear muffs not only keep you cozy but also elevate your overall look.
—Jessica Copeland, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024
In a tie game in the fourth quarter, Williams had a punt bounce off his knee — a muff rather than a fumble.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024
Behind him, a cartoon of the Raiders' Maxx Crosby, wearing purple ear muffs, attempts a tackle on Mahomes.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023
Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 1 Jan. 2024
The quarter didn’t end until the 49ers completed a three-and-out hat trick, then, to top it off, muffed the Chiefs’ end-of-quarter punt that bounced off Luter and wasn’t corralled by McCloud.
9.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024
The Rams furiously rallied from down 31-7 to pull within 3 points and still 2:32 to play, but punt returner Toby Gowin muffed a punt with 1:51 to go, and the Saints recovered to salt the win away.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024
He was put in by special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh in the final minute against Alabama in order to safely field a punt after freshman Semaj Morgan had fumbled one earlier, only to muff it himself and nearly lose it for a safety or potentially a touchdown.
—Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 13 Jan. 2024
The Chiefs seemed to be finding their rhythm, and the 49ers gifted them a golden opportunity when Darrell Luter Jr. muffed a punt, giving Kansas City the ball in the red zone.
—Brett Knight, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Michigan muffed a punt that gave Alabama the ball in Wolverines territory, missed an extra-point attempt on a bad snap, missed a field-goal try, averaged just 39.5 yards per punt and muffed a second punt in the game’s final minute that nearly lost the game.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024
The Wolverines scored with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game, 20-20, then got a stop, muffed a punt, recovered it, and eventually won in overtime.
—Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 2 Jan. 2024
Settling the matter, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa muffed a shotgun snap on fourth-and-10 from K.C.’s 31 with a minute left.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2023
Noun
For après, prioritize fashion and pack a hat or muffs to keep you warm for the rest of the day.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2024
Mendoza Alabama strikes first after Michigan muffs punt The first official mistake of the game comes from the Wolverines.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024
Tight end Evan Engram’s muff of a perfect pass by Lawrence led to a Titans interception, followed by a TD drive.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2024
Gaggles of young children wiggled around the stands, their mouths agape and their ears covered by muffs or a parent’s palms.
—Paul McAdory, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
Semaj Morgan muffs punt, Alabama recovers Michigan's defense came out firing and recorded two sacks on Alabama's first three plays to force a quick three-and-out, however, the Wolverines didn't get the ball back.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 1 Jan. 2024
Perfect for pairing with a matching faux fur jacket or fuzzy boots, these ear muffs not only keep you cozy but also elevate your overall look.
—Jessica Copeland, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024
In a tie game in the fourth quarter, Williams had a punt bounce off his knee — a muff rather than a fumble.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024
Behind him, a cartoon of the Raiders' Maxx Crosby, wearing purple ear muffs, attempts a tackle on Mahomes.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023
Verb
Freshman wide receiver Semaj Morgan was back to return the punt, and muffed the catch off his chest.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 1 Jan. 2024
The quarter didn’t end until the 49ers completed a three-and-out hat trick, then, to top it off, muffed the Chiefs’ end-of-quarter punt that bounced off Luter and wasn’t corralled by McCloud.
9.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024
The Rams furiously rallied from down 31-7 to pull within 3 points and still 2:32 to play, but punt returner Toby Gowin muffed a punt with 1:51 to go, and the Saints recovered to salt the win away.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024
He was put in by special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh in the final minute against Alabama in order to safely field a punt after freshman Semaj Morgan had fumbled one earlier, only to muff it himself and nearly lose it for a safety or potentially a touchdown.
—Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 13 Jan. 2024
The Chiefs seemed to be finding their rhythm, and the 49ers gifted them a golden opportunity when Darrell Luter Jr. muffed a punt, giving Kansas City the ball in the red zone.
—Brett Knight, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Michigan muffed a punt that gave Alabama the ball in Wolverines territory, missed an extra-point attempt on a bad snap, missed a field-goal try, averaged just 39.5 yards per punt and muffed a second punt in the game’s final minute that nearly lost the game.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024
The Wolverines scored with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game, 20-20, then got a stop, muffed a punt, recovered it, and eventually won in overtime.
—Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 2 Jan. 2024
Settling the matter, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa muffed a shotgun snap on fourth-and-10 from K.C.’s 31 with a minute left.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'muff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near muff
Cite this Entry
“Muff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muff. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
muff
1 of 2 noun
: a soft thick tubelike covering with open ends in which both hands may be inserted for protection from cold
muff
2 of 2 noun
: a clumsy or bungled performance
especially
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
muff
verb
Etymology
Noun
from Dutch mof "a cover for the hands," from early French moufle "mitten"
Noun
probably from 1muff
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