muffle

verb

muf·​fle ˈmə-fəl 

muffled; muffling 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

Synonyms of muffle

• mute
• stifle

Examples of muffle in a Sentence

They tried to muffle the noise.

I could hear their muffled voices from the next room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Buell tried to muffle the sound by putting her hands over her ears. — Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026

Now the sound was muffled from the hunters as the dogs passed around a canebrake wall bordered by a dark bayou. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Designed to muffle the sound of the Imax camera, the blimp was a revelation for Damon. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026

Educational lectures at the aquarium and the sounds of traffic on the street both came through clearly, not remotely muffled. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English muflen

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for muffle

• duffel
• duffle
• ruffle
• scuffle
• shuffle
• truffle
• reshuffle

Kids Definition

muffle

verb

muf·​fle ˈməf-əl 

muffled; muffling ˈməf-(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to wrap up so as to conceal or protect

2

: to deaden the sound of

muffle a cry