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
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
Money floods into affected districts, muffling outrage precisely when constituents are most enraged.
—John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
The music, which ranges from Motown to '80s alternative, enlivens the room without muffling conversations.
—Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
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
Money floods into affected districts, muffling outrage precisely when constituents are most enraged.
—John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
The music, which ranges from Motown to '80s alternative, enlivens the room without muffling conversations.
—Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Aug. 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
-
As Jordan celebrated, cameras caught him approaching Hamlin, wrapping his hand around his neck in a playful chokehold and planting a kiss on his head before walking off.—
Ryan Brennan
April 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The defense is historically stifling.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The bill, which passed with another similar piece of legislation aimed at limiting protests around houses of worship, has drawn concerns about stifling free speech rights, especially for pro-Palestine protests.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Elkins stretched his hands behind them, enveloping his kids like a big hug.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Sunny skies and mild breezes are enveloping the Pharmalot campus once again.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Then venetian blinds shrouding the box slowly rose to reveal glass walls and, inside them, a sinister diorama—a replica of RTLM, or Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, the radio station that fuelled the catastrophe.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On top lies the picotage technique as well as a pattern of overlapping black circles, that is both enclosing and creating space while also keeping out.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee
March 6,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Buyers at Gatherpoint can personalize their homes to their preferences with options for extending patios, lanais and garages, enclosing flex rooms and expanding indoor-outdoor connections with pocketing or zero-corner sliding glass doors.—
Pulte Homes,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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