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

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

Plus, darker tones help muffle visual clutter, creating a calming mood that feels loads richer than your budget might suggest. — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026

But the lack of competitive consequences for floundering clubs does very little to muffle those pushing for pro/rel. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

As a further precaution, consider adding background noise, like the TV or a white noise machine, to help muffle the sounds. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 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