MUFFLED Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

muffled 1 of 2

adjective

as in muted

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muffled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of muffle

as in stifled

to deaden the sound of the walls muffled their conversation so that only a low murmur was heard

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Adjective

Starbucks isn’t immune to those concerns, which is reflected in the stock’s more muted performance in recent months.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Those who adore Kurosawa’s unsettling earlier films may be thrown off by his new movie’s relatively muted approach.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of muted

Verb

What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
While some economists express pessimism about future growth due to diminishing returns, Nobel laureates like Joel Mokyr and Philippe Aghion remain optimistic, arguing new technologies like AI enable exponential progress if innovation isn't stifled.

— Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of stifled

Verb

The Senegal forward’s Everton future has been shrouded in uncertainty since the beginning of the calendar year, when talks over a new contract began.

— Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Though astronomers have been studying V445 Puppis for two decades, much of the phenomena associated with it were shrouded in mystery due to a vast cloud of dusty debris that surrounded this nova.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of shrouded

Adjective

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
Running that corner of the internet is the SIE crew, who have been dropping ghostly sub-10-minute EPs semi-regularly that really dial in on their hushed mania.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026

Definition of hushed

Verb

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
The increasing temperatures come courtesy of the slight expansion of a heat dome that has enveloped much of the central and southern Plains, the southern Rockies, the Desert Southwest and the upper Midwest.

— Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 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

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muffle

muffled

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“Muffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muffled. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of muffled

adjective

verb

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