as in muttering
speech that is not clear enough to be understood
his surprising announcement brought murmurings from the crowd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in humming
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
no prisoner dared murmur out loud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mumbling
to speak softly and unclearly
a college professor who tends to murmur
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of murmuring
Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
The music cuts off, and, gradually, everyone leaves, murmuring about a rave happening not too far away.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
Customers in the Dunkin’ have a similar response, murmuring and looking over their shoulders for the Accountant 2 actor.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Shockwaves on prices and murmuring of massive layoffs abound at cocktail parties and in discussions with retail and brand executives alike.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Two students have unrolled what looks like an incomplete treasure map, and lean over it with magnifying glasses, murmuring to one another.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
The music cuts off, and, gradually, everyone leaves, murmuring about a rave happening not too far away.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
Customers in the Dunkin’ have a similar response, murmuring and looking over their shoulders for the Accountant 2 actor.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murmuring
Adjective
-
The Colts’ offense is absolutely humming.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman from South Florida, vividly remembers her constituents complaining about one Facebook ad in particular.—
David Smiley,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
About 20% of fire department employees responded to the survey, with large majorities of those respondents complaining about discrimination, diversity and inclusion programs and a wide range of organizational issues.—
Aaron Valdez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
My husband has been muttering in a loop about tuition, books, food, and transportation to and from home to campus.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
15 Sep. 2025
-
He was also heard muttering expletives down the stretch, visibly battling the heat and pressure.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
To this day, the cooing and mutter of pigeons can lull me into a space of deep enjoyment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Four years, later, Guillory opened a second store in New Orleans’ Central Business District, a streetcar ride away from fashionable Magazine Street and the buzzing French Quarter.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
-
With historical sights like the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace brushing up against buzzing bars and lively cafes, Ottoman-era mosques a short walk from contemporary art museums, and traditional carpet shops around the corner from trendy boutiques, Istanbul is a place where old and new coexist.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Agents appear to fight off a screaming crowd trying to help the man by pushing them away and threatening them with pepper spray.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
There’s nothing like stepping onto the ice with thousands of screaming school children on top of you after an early-morning bus ride to play in an early-morning game to remind you’re in the AHL rather than the NHL.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After whispering and mumbling my way through the ceremony, I was handed the scroll.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Of all the sins that might damn your soul for eternity, mumbling is probably pretty far down the list.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Our goal is to create something that’s not only entertaining and emotionally resonant, but also true to the imagination and cultural curiosity that have defined Playboy for more than seventy years.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Southern Taurids come from Comet Encke itself, and some of them may be in a debris cluster called a resonant swarm.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murmuring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murmuring. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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