Illustration of muff
muffed; muffing; muffs
1
: a bungling performance
2
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
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
Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Watching the race in person requires ear muffs and a willingness to hear your brain and heart vibrate to a motor’s adrenaline.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
With Dolphins third-string quarterback Hendon Hooker as the signal caller, the Dolphins defense forced another three-and-out – just for Henning to muff a punt deep in Miami territory.
—Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
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Noun
Sandoval circles under the ball, throws his hat off for a better look … and muffs it.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Watching the race in person requires ear muffs and a willingness to hear your brain and heart vibrate to a motor’s adrenaline.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
Sandoval circles under the ball, throws his hat off for a better look … and muffs it.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
With Dolphins third-string quarterback Hendon Hooker as the signal caller, the Dolphins defense forced another three-and-out – just for Henning to muff a punt deep in Miami territory.
—Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muff
Cite this Entry
“Muff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muff. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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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