muffle

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

3 a :to wrap or pad with something to dull the sound

muffle the oarlocks

b :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

There was this lonely realization that crying for help was useless because the storm would muffle our voices.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Yearning to take leap of faith like Peter did," 25 Aug. 2017
Special windows installed by city contractors in homes around Midway airport were intended to muffle the noise of jets roaring overhead.

— mary wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, "Midway residents want city to replace foul-smelling, noise-reducing windows," 24 Aug. 2017
The volume of her despair rose to a level even the drugs couldn't muffle.

— amy yurkanin, AL.com, "Poor, rural and addicted: Drugs drive surge in white women in prison," 24 Aug. 2017
How the penguins communicate back-and-forth couldn’t be easily discerned (the microphone was muffled by the penguins' backs), but the study suggests penguins could be vocally interacting.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Scientists Attached Cameras to Penguins—Here's What They Learned.," 22 Aug. 2017
Thickeners such as cornstarch and flour could mute the fresh fruit flavor, and simmering the berries to reduce the excess liquid could mean once again muffling the fresh flavor.

— arthi subramaniam, charlotteobserver, "Can’t fresh blueberries be a little . . . sexier?," 15 Aug. 2017
The 2018 Mustang GT will add a stealth mode to muffle its exhaust so owners won’t disturb the neighbors with the engine’s rumble at night.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Ford Mustang adds stealth mode for 2018," 1 Aug. 2017
Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include itchiness, redness, fluid drainage, decreased or muffled hearing, fever, and swollen lymph nodes around the ear or upper neck.

— alyssa terk, md, Philly.com, "How to avoid swimmer's ear," 1 Aug. 2017
If it's buried among suitcases, the blast will be muffled and the damage minimized.

— david hambling, Popular Mechanics, "Just How Dangerous Are Laptop Bombs on Planes?," 21 July 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

muffle Synonyms

Synonyms

mute, stifle

Antonyms

unmuffle

Related Words

insulate, soundproof; pad; dampen, mellow, soften, subdue, tone (down); baffle; smother

Near Antonyms

amplify, boost, deepen, enhance, heighten, increase, magnify, step up, strengthen

MUFFLE Defined for English Language Learners

muffle

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