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
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
My sisters teased me about my muffled giggles under the covers in the middle of the night.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
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
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
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
That quiet was punctuated only by muffled bangs, as Sugar Bowl ski patrollers set off explosives in the peaks above to mitigate the danger of an avalanche inbounds at the resort.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
My sisters teased me about my muffled giggles under the covers in the middle of the night.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
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
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
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
-
This manicure plays with two shades of green, a muted olive and a vibrant shamrock.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Guest rooms are decked out in muted coastal blues and offer ocean views, the SEA Wellness Spa specializes in hydrating and anti-aging facials, massages, and nailcare, and a restaurant, lounge, and bar serve a variety of salads, seafood, and cocktails.—
Tim Chester,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Texans were stifled all night, turning the ball over 26 times.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But the surging inflation, lack of a large base of consumers with high disposable incomes, and low broadband access that have challenged other African streaming services have stifled Showmax’s ambitions.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The devices were wrapped in black tape with nuts, bolts and screws, as well as a fuse.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Cut lime slices or halves can be wrapped in plastic and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for five to seven days.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The ground beef was chopped fine on the grill and folded together with sweet, softened onions and perfectly melted American cheese, all tucked into a soft roll with crisp lettuce and tomato for balance.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Tehran’s residents woke up to a skyline shrouded in black smoke and acid rain clouds after Israeli airstrikes set ablaze key fuel depots serving one of the Middle East’s largest cities.—
Golnar Motevalli,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Although Messi was silent throughout, his appearance seemed to speak volumes for a player whose politics have largely been shrouded in mystery.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For over a decade, Claire and Jamie Fraser have loved each other across centuries, continents, and wars; their devotion as enduring as the Highland mist that first enveloped their story.—
Carly Witteman,
Vogue,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The next afternoon Jackie enveloped her one-day-old egg with her body.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the music did start, with only two band members in tow (and some occasional backing tracks), that drummer mostly used mallets, and stuck toward accents more than beats, to keep things to the hushed mode she’s known for.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Her parents’ bedroom still felt a little bit like church, hushed and dark, the air redolent with her mother’s perfume and hair spray, something mustier beneath.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These habitats provide access to landscaped terraces, maximize natural ventilation, and are enclosed by energy efficient systems and facades.—
Adam Williams
March 06,
New Atlas,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The sounds are most prominent near an underground yellow jacket nest, paper wasp nest, or the large, enclosed bald-fast hornet's paper nest.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muffled. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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