muffled 1 of 2

adjective

as in muted

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muffled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of muffle
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of muffled
Adjective
The video’s moodiness subtly underscores the fact that the lion’s share of these tracks are built on one muffled breakbeat, which tolls like clockwork across the LP. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026 Barreto’s muffled voice is heard responding. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 From the pig trailer came a bang, followed by a muffled squeal. — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 The company warns, in the muffled prose of a risk factor, that a credit downgrade could push up its borrowing costs and even change the terms of its data-center leases. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 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
Verb
Educational lectures at the aquarium and the sounds of traffic on the street both came through clearly, not remotely muffled. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026 Missing crucial orders because a voice is muffled, or struggling to pull out an emergency fire shelter because a mask is in the way, could be the difference between life and death. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muffled
  1. muted
  2. stifled
  3. wrapped
  4. softened
  5. shrouded
  6. hushed
  7. enveloped
  8. enclosed
Adjective
  • Think clean lines, muted colors, original artwork, and skylights in some rooms.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Fans, however, have wondered why marketing for the game has felt pretty muted outside of two trailers just over four months before launch.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of muted
Verb
  • Raman asserted that there have been only three Inside Safe operations in her district and that her committee has been stifled by inaction from the mayor.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In the late 1800s however, the Chinese Exclusion Act stifled the thriving community, and other immigrant communities began to make their mark on Gilroy.
    — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of stifled
Verb
  • In that incident, Gay used a chain wrapped around his hand to fracture the skull of the teen, court records show.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Dining Room For a hint of color, the walls are wrapped in a peachy grass cloth, Elizabeth Dow Home’s Island textile in Sao Miquel.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrapped
Adjective
  • Add the diced Spanish onion and sauté until softened and translucent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Problems surged in 2020, after sweeping criminal justice reforms led by Capitol Hill’s Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, who spearheaded softened penalties for crimes.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of softened
Verb
  • Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, this compact cabin is shrouded in lush foliage, creating a quiet escape from Tinseltown.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
  • They are sometimes shrouded in confidentiality clauses, and often surface only when a local journalist finds the contract.
    — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrouded
Adjective
  • In a hushed environment, the buds' passive isolation is often sufficient.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone in town seemed to walk through that day in a daze; Leslie’s name was spoken in hushed whispers.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
Definition of hushed
Verb
  • The shroud of silence and fear that enveloped Syria throughout the Assad decades was gone.
    — Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • More than three hundred unionized workers at the Victoria & Albert Museum are set to vote on a strike action spurred by the broiling heat that has enveloped the city in recent weeks, The Guardian reports.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026
Definition of enveloped
Verb
  • The former patio has been enclosed to make a new dining room with windows facing the Cultural District.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
  • Two types of trams—open and enclosed, both free—get you within a 10-minute walk of most popular attractions, with pick-ups and drop-offs in or near three major parking lots.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of enclosed

Browse Nearby Words

muffle
muffled
muffler
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Cite this Entry

“Muffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muffled. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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