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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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
Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026
But a patient pugilist values the muffled thud of shots to the resolve.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026
Those inside the nearby ballroom could hear muffled pops.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Brian Gibson’s gangrenous bass riffs and gibbering, muffled vocals have even more gonzo energy than usual, while Chippendale mixes bombast and finesse with his customary flair.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026
Day was dedicated to the bit, making Hernandez crack with muffled laughter.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
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
Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Their replies are muffled by their hands blocking their mouths.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
He’s perched on the second floor above the courtyard, a few bustling parties muffled in the background.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Other symptoms include ringing, a sensation like something is stuck in the ears or conversations sounding muffled.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
While Hazel Avenue is a busy street, traffic cannot be heard from inside the house and is muffled in the front yard.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The sound of a backstage vocal warmup was muffled by thick stage curtains.
—Melanie Asmar, Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2026
Bunny, wearing a knitted Balaclava and carrying a clip board, called out commands to the chief electrician in a voice muffled with pain.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 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
Adjective
Rain hammered Independence Boulevard hard enough to blur the windshield, and the voice taking my order came through muffled and distant, though no more confusing than a late-night order at Cook Out.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026
But a patient pugilist values the muffled thud of shots to the resolve.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026
Those inside the nearby ballroom could hear muffled pops.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Brian Gibson’s gangrenous bass riffs and gibbering, muffled vocals have even more gonzo energy than usual, while Chippendale mixes bombast and finesse with his customary flair.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026
Day was dedicated to the bit, making Hernandez crack with muffled laughter.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
Everything feels muffled, with such heavy carpeting.
—Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Their replies are muffled by their hands blocking their mouths.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
He’s perched on the second floor above the courtyard, a few bustling parties muffled in the background.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Other symptoms include ringing, a sensation like something is stuck in the ears or conversations sounding muffled.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
While Hazel Avenue is a busy street, traffic cannot be heard from inside the house and is muffled in the front yard.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The sound of a backstage vocal warmup was muffled by thick stage curtains.
—Melanie Asmar, Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2026
Bunny, wearing a knitted Balaclava and carrying a clip board, called out commands to the chief electrician in a voice muffled with pain.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muffled
Adjective
-
His trademark cool was sidelined by a more demonstrative style, closer to the theatrical sensibilities of 2Pac than the muted menace that once defined him.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
-
Breeding siblings The first step was to find a common bean plant with a muted In11 receptor.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The war has stifled the flow of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.—
Damian J. Troise,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
And while the state has seen strong GDP growth in recent months, business groups still worry that this economic success could be stifled by limited job growth and economic uncertainty in the wake of federal policy changes.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
This collection of poems—Orr’s thirteenth—bears bitter witness to environmental degradation, moral corruption, and the aging of a body and of a generation, all viewed from a bird’s eye, wrapped in the language and tone of myth.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
The American Black Film Festival wrapped its final full day of programming for its 30th anniversary edition by announcing the winners of the 2026 festival at the Best of ABFF Awards.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
This unique pie is made from a giant sugar cookie topped with softened cream cheese and a beautiful array of fresh fruits.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
-
An excessive need for approval leads to softened feedback, inconsistent standards, and avoided difficult conversations, eroding accountability.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite remaining shrouded in mystery and intrigue, these mega-structures currently provide the best evidence of some form of governance.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
-
Everything is shrouded in secrecy or glossed over via bureaucratic jargon.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Still, Henry’s late-season surge was not enough to get the Ravens into the playoffs and prevent the seismic change that enveloped the organization about 36 hours into the offseason when 18-year head coach John Harbaugh was fired.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
In the dark, predawn hours of December 3, 1984, a dense cloud of poisonous gas leaked from a pesticide plant and, borne on a soft, northern wind, enveloped Bhopal, a city in central India.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
At the time, the diagnosis was much more taboo, discussed only with hushed, fearful voices.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
In recording studios all around the world, two names are mentioned in hushed tones.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
One of them, a circular structure measuring 250 square meters (approximately 2,690 square feet), was located in an area between the ditch systems that enclosed the smaller houses, as archaeologists attempt to understand the site’s urban planning.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
-
The decision effectively killed the Park District’s vision for creating an off-leash dog beach enclosed in chain-link fence.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muffled. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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