as in muted
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1
as in stifled
to deaden the sound of
the walls muffled their conversation so that only a low murmur was heard
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrapped
to surround or cover closely
the airport had been muffled in fog all morning long
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muffled
Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Her voice is muffled because her face is pressed against his chest.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
The form can capture, perhaps better than any other, the muffled quality of cold afternoons and days spent indoors.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
Although muffled voices can be heard, the video is too dark to identify people.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
There’s a muffled quality to the voice, and all his vowels seem to bend in the middle.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Ear Pain or Pressure A feeling of fullness in your ears, pain, or muffled hearing often means fluid has built up behind your eardrum.
—Health, 3 Dec. 2025
Only the sounds of our muffled footsteps, the chitter of songbirds, and the breathy cool of an early-autumn breeze in the treetops break the silence.
—Eric J. Wallace, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
Divers have told tales of muffled voices, phantom lights and shadows, and other eerie encounters during their time beneath the sea.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Graham Womack
updated January 15, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Using context-aware algorithms, this technology can, for example, be used to help distinguish between speech and noise, predict and suppress unwanted clamor in real time, and attempt to clean up speech that is muffled or distorted.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Jan. 2026
The boy buried his face in his hands, and the thick nest of hair shook as if in a wind, and the sobs, though muffled, grew louder.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Ignore that muffled screaming in the distance, that’s just the TV overlords punching air.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
The audio is muffled and at times difficult to discern.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2025
The summer noise of saplings and shrubs and bug nests and grass and flowers had been muffled by the snow.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
This is the perfect opportunity for the Business Roundtable to advocate for its members in a forceful, direct challenge to the administration, but it has been perplexingly muffled.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
That should tug on our hearts since Willa’s worth caring for, but the emotional heft between dad and daughter gets muffled since there’s just not enough oxygen given to those scenes.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
However, her panicked words are met with muffled sounds and a quick hang-up.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Her voice is muffled because her face is pressed against his chest.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
The form can capture, perhaps better than any other, the muffled quality of cold afternoons and days spent indoors.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
Although muffled voices can be heard, the video is too dark to identify people.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
There’s a muffled quality to the voice, and all his vowels seem to bend in the middle.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Ear Pain or Pressure A feeling of fullness in your ears, pain, or muffled hearing often means fluid has built up behind your eardrum.
—Health, 3 Dec. 2025
Only the sounds of our muffled footsteps, the chitter of songbirds, and the breathy cool of an early-autumn breeze in the treetops break the silence.
—Eric J. Wallace, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
Divers have told tales of muffled voices, phantom lights and shadows, and other eerie encounters during their time beneath the sea.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
Highway traffic may have muffled the sound of gunshots.
—Graham Womack
updated January 15, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Using context-aware algorithms, this technology can, for example, be used to help distinguish between speech and noise, predict and suppress unwanted clamor in real time, and attempt to clean up speech that is muffled or distorted.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Jan. 2026
The boy buried his face in his hands, and the thick nest of hair shook as if in a wind, and the sobs, though muffled, grew louder.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Ignore that muffled screaming in the distance, that’s just the TV overlords punching air.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
The audio is muffled and at times difficult to discern.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2025
The summer noise of saplings and shrubs and bug nests and grass and flowers had been muffled by the snow.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
This is the perfect opportunity for the Business Roundtable to advocate for its members in a forceful, direct challenge to the administration, but it has been perplexingly muffled.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
That should tug on our hearts since Willa’s worth caring for, but the emotional heft between dad and daughter gets muffled since there’s just not enough oxygen given to those scenes.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muffled
Adjective
-
After years of muted activity at the midseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas kickstarted a flurry of activity Tuesday — first cementing a three-team trade to acquire Jaden Ivey from Detroit, then offloading Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Recreate the look in a similar muted color scheme, like allover cloudy white, or play around with vivid color combinations like Miami teal and head-to-toe pinks.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Impressive defense from Vanderbilt stifled A&M's shooters and forced 11 Aggie turnovers.—
American Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
She feels stifled when she can’t be trusted to do things on her own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What helped the department through this trauma was the outpouring from the community – indeed, from the country and beyond – which wrapped supportive and grateful arms around the APD.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Thread can become wrapped under the tongue actually cutting into the soft tissue there.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Everything in this recipe is made with love, from the tomato sauce to the filling which is tenderly wrapped in the softened cabbage leaves.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Lightly grease paper with softened butter.—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His bulk, shrouded in a floor-length poncho, appeared almost weightless, ectoplasmic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Mentally, there's something soothing about the fact that the hotel itself is shrouded in foliage.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, one of the main attractions of such grand movie houses was the opulence itself – where everyday Joes, Janes and Junes might be enveloped in grandeur with a two-bit ticket.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For what felt like an eternity — but was really 20 minutes — the whole place was enveloped in an eerie silence, the only sound being the steady thump of techno-pop playing through the loudspeakers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But Williams’ unveiled the livery of its new car, the FW48, on Tuesday in a more hushed fashion than anticipated.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The 12-track effort is full of wide, sprawling arrangements that segue from hushed and contemplative to liberated.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This 75-minute trip includes live island music by Barefoot Brian Cabral, a full bar and enclosed upper deck for stunning views from every seat.—
Susan McDonald,
The Providence Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Uptown Penny Loafer Mule combines a grippy platform sole with a deep heel cup to provide optimal stability for hours-long wear, delivering the same comfort as if your foot were fully enclosed.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muffled. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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