as in mutter
speech that is not clear enough to be understood
barely heard mutterings of discontent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in mumbling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
a muttering group of workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murmuring
to speak softly and unclearly
muttering to himself under his breath
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muttering
Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The older lady who was muttering to herself in casting is there.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
The camera then turns to James Austin Johnson, who played the president, sleeping and muttering New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s name.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
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
Verb
The volume has gone up again since Ruben Amorim’s recent departure, muttering darkly about Gary Neville’s outside influence in particular.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The older lady who was muttering to herself in casting is there.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
The camera then turns to James Austin Johnson, who played the president, sleeping and muttering New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s name.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muttering
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
-
The stop-motion digital series about a jolly, mumbling, pint-size cook serves up a big slice of serotonin.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The complaining witness in the case is Robert Held, a local attorney who has often protested at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in nearby Broadview.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Spousal involvement with an AI is a growing reason for divorce, with partners complaining about the amount of time and money their spouses were spending on their AI relationship.—
Lori Andrews,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rarely have Hunt’s compositions felt so jittery and full of life as the title track, which blooms from murmuring drones into shimmering bokehs of synth programming.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Two students have unrolled what looks like an incomplete treasure map, and lean over it with magnifying glasses, murmuring to one another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After National Guardsmen shot and killed four unarmed students at Kent State on May 4, 1970, Neil Young saw a Life magazine photo of a teenage girl screaming over one of the bodies and immediately wrote this song.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
-
An astute writer, Aristidou avoids including a screaming match typical of stories like this.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As whisper listings become more common, discretion has turned into a form of value.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The role Landfair’s family members, including Sparkle, played in fostering her relationship with Kelly, even as whispers of their relationship became screams, is difficult to reckon with.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some signs that the carburetor is clogged on a snow blower are starting then dying a few seconds afterward, jerking, sputtering noises, and black smoke emitting from the exhaust.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Wait for the sputtering sound to subside.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But students who are spending their time protesting, whining about the grading system and seeking easy classes don’t seem to fit that mold.—
Mitch Zimmer,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Some had noisy bearings, which could sound like a whining noise.—
John Paul,
The Providence Journal,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muttering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muttering. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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