1
as in muting
to deaden the sound of
the walls muffled their conversation so that only a low murmur was heard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrapping
to surround or cover closely
the airport had been muffled in fog all morning long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muffling
The sound-muffling fabrics, carpets, ceiling tiles, tablecloths and rugs that used to decorate restaurants are deemed too stuffy these days, and even upholstered booths are being replaced by more barebones tables — and lots of them, close together.
—
Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
Their flexible design fits snugly into ears, muffling plane engine sounds and loud conversations.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
The timeless linen is backed with a white blackout liner to block out as much light as possible without adding unnecessary bulk to your window frames while muffling the sound from your street.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, apartments with older doors, and homes with hardwood or tile floors, this $4 draft stopper can stop the chilly air from entering, while also muffling outside noises and blocking dust, pollen, and pests.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
In addition, six interchanges were reconfigured and 7 miles of noise-muffling walls were installed.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Kubiak found that easy to navigate with a conservative game plan in the season finale at the 49ers with a rushing attack that had 39 attempts for 180 yards while the Seahawks’ defense was muffling the opposition.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
The active noise cancellation actually blocks sounds, instead of offering that fake muffling nonsense.
—PC Magazine, 22 Nov. 2025
Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
Their flexible design fits snugly into ears, muffling plane engine sounds and loud conversations.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
The timeless linen is backed with a white blackout liner to block out as much light as possible without adding unnecessary bulk to your window frames while muffling the sound from your street.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, apartments with older doors, and homes with hardwood or tile floors, this $4 draft stopper can stop the chilly air from entering, while also muffling outside noises and blocking dust, pollen, and pests.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
In addition, six interchanges were reconfigured and 7 miles of noise-muffling walls were installed.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Kubiak found that easy to navigate with a conservative game plan in the season finale at the 49ers with a rushing attack that had 39 attempts for 180 yards while the Seahawks’ defense was muffling the opposition.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
The active noise cancellation actually blocks sounds, instead of offering that fake muffling nonsense.
—PC Magazine, 22 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muffling
Verb
-
Skipping a baby shower or muting a pregnancy announcement on social media are reasonable ways to protect your own emotional wellbeing during a difficult season.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Scientists say this indicates that the medicines were muting the crustaceans' pain processing.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sky is threatening rain on an early Wednesday evening, but that hasn’t stopped a line of people from wrapping around a tall brick building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
-
The suit also featured a sleek black strap running down her torso, with the top wrapping around her bodice.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Birds eat and digest the seeds, then the plant grows in dense stands and blocks sunlight from reaching other young plants, overcrowding or stifling other species.—
Sarah Everett,
The Spruce,
11 May 2026
-
Before Sunday’s game, the Charge had struggled to generate a ton of offense in general against a stifling Boston defense.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The feeling is organic and involving, just as the sound of the voices is intimate and enveloping.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Sunny skies and mild breezes are enveloping the Pharmalot campus once again.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Congressional leaders, wired to protect their own and afraid of upsetting their narrow margins, are famous for shrouding ethics investigations in secrecy and dragging them out for years.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Advertisement Israel has bombed oil depots in Tehran, shrouding the city in toxic black smoke, and attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These nanoreactors are built as porous shells enclosing an internal cavity that hosts catalytically active nanoparticles.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
Archaeologists found that the site’s foragers had crafted small huts from brushwood, weaving them into dome-like structures enclosing a central hearth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The concrete cap of a tomb encasing radioactive fallout now has cracks, and what’s beneath can rise from the dead.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The crunchy encasing pairs perfectly with the melty cheese and various fillings inside, including cheese, tinga, potato and chorizo, and raja (strips of peppers and onions).—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muffling. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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