muffle

play

verb muf·fle \ˈmə-fəl\

Definition of muffle

muffled

;

muffling

play \ˈmə-f(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb
1 : to wrap up so as to conceal or protect : envelop
2 obsolete : blindfold
3a : to wrap or pad with something to dull the sound muffle the oarlocksb : to deaden the sound of
4 : keep down, suppress muffled her anger

See muffle defined for English-language learners

See muffle defined for kids

Examples of muffle in a Sentence

They tried to muffle the noise.
I could hear their muffled voices from the next room.

Recent Examples of muffle from the Web

The kind of sound issues that plague so many festival performances threatened to muffle Tribe's golden instrumentals, though the group's compact melodies still shined through.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Hip-Hop / Music / Pitchfork Day Two A Tribe Called Quest paid tribute to Phife Dawg at Pitchfork with their first full show since his death," 16 July 2017
Turn on a fan, radio or TV to muffle the sound of fireworks.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "5 things to do for a family-friendly Fourth in San Diego," 28 June 2017
At food trucks off a busy highway in Riyadh, young Saudis kicked off the weekend with burgers and ice cream, the men served by women covered top to toe in black as music muffled the din of generators.

— donna abu-nasr, Bloomberg.com, "Saudis Cling to Tradition," 21 June 2017
If private speech could be passed off as government speech by simply affixing a government seal of approval, government could silence or muffle the expression of disfavored viewpoints.

— eriq gardner, Billboard, "Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of The Slants In Disparaging Trademark Ruling," 20 June 2017
If private speech could be passed off as government speech by simply affixing a government seal of approval, government could silence or muffle the expression of disfavored viewpoints.

— eriq gardner, Billboard, "Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of The Slants In Disparaging Trademark Ruling," 19 June 2017
Nothing muffled the sharp sounds of our shoes on the white tile.

— elisabeth egan, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award finalist: "Water like air" by Rebecca Wurtz," 10 June 2017
Who can't identify with supporting the people whose voices are muffled in a culture still dominated by white males?

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Should white chefs sell burritos? Appropriation vs. ambassadorship," 29 May 2017
And the blanket of snow muffled the footsteps of a family of local villagers who ventured into the woods.

— amanda paulson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Paradise found," 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'muffle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of muffle

Middle English muflen

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First Known Use: 15th century

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MUFFLE Defined for English Language Learners

muffle

play

verb

Definition of muffle for English Language Learners

: to make (a sound) quieter : to decrease the noise made by (something)
: to wrap or cover (someone or something) in clothing or cloth for warmth or protection