Illustration of muff
muffed; muffing; muffs
1
: to handle awkwardly
muffed the interview
2
: to fail to hold (a ball) when attempting a catch
1
: to act or do something stupidly or clumsily
I tried so hard and still muffed.
2
: to muff a ball compare fumble
1
: a bungling performance
2
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
Examples of muff in a Sentence
Verb
He muffed his chance for a promotion.
The outfielder muffed an easy catch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
After Lovett’s muff, the defense was declared the winner, which meant planks for the offense.
—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
With Freddie Freeman standing on second base, after a leadoff double against Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez, Muncy hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Will Wagner, who muffed the play.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for muff
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Noun
According to former Joseph Magnin Company assistant buyer Doreen Provost, Monroe purchased the suit, along with a matching hat and a white fur muff, from her at the designer salon.
—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
After Lovett’s muff, the defense was declared the winner, which meant planks for the offense.
—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
Tommy Troy then reached on a single, per the official scorer, but shortstop Christian Koss should’ve been charged with an error after muffing a grounder.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
With Freddie Freeman standing on second base, after a leadoff double against Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez, Muncy hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Will Wagner, who muffed the play.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for muff
Cite this Entry
“Muff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muff. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
muff
1 of 2 noun
: a soft thick tubelike covering with open ends in which both hands may be inserted for protection from cold
muff
2 of 2 noun
: a clumsy or bungled performance
especially
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
muff
verb
Etymology
Noun
from Dutch mof "a cover for the hands," from early French moufle "mitten"
Noun
probably from 1muff
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