muffle

And Mr. Knight is also superb as James tries to muffle his own fears the better to lessen his wife’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

I watched as the woman cuffed the phone receiver, attempting, ironically, to muffle the private information she was giving to a 13-year-old.

From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2023

The change, on the heels of a risk assessment done by the government, would likely muffle access to information showing changes in public sentiment toward the city.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 21, 2023

When neighbors there complained about the loud noise from computer cooling fans at the bitcoin mining operation, he gave an interview to the Colorado Springs Independent, promising to plant pine trees to muffle the sound.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2023

She thought about all the nights they had stayed up late, talking in whispers and using their pillows to muffle their laughter.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Mr. Orhan offsets the novel’s magical realism with plainspoken prose that muffles Dilara’s increasingly volatile desires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

The visible clutter sets off a contagious, slightly embarrassed giggle, which she muffles with her hands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2025

Gestational diabetes most commonly occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy when a woman’s body naturally muffles insulin signals, sparking labor difficulties for the woman and long-term afflictions for a newborn baby.

From Washington Times ● May 31, 2023

It dampens our desires and muffles our joy.

From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2021

There aren’t as many people here, and the shade between two houses also muffles all the songs around us, but it also means we don’t have the best view.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

Full of sorrow and restraint, the opening verses are entombed by muffled synths before Liene explodes into an operatic wail of catharsis in the dying moments.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Day was dedicated to the bit, making Hernandez crack with muffled laughter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026

Several muffled booms were heard in the distance.

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

On the Alto K98M, that click-clackiness is muffled by a rubbery internal gasket surrounding the keys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025

Now she heard the sharp clack-clack of billiard cues, then the muffled thud as the ball hit the felted rim of the table and ricocheted into the pocket.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

"But a quantum computer acts like noise-canceling headphones that compare combinations of answers, amplifying the right ones while muffling the wrong ones."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2026

He dropped his face in his hands, muffling his voice.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2024

Giant arborvitae trees flank Maude’s Garden on Seattle’s First Hill, muffling the hum of city traffic for this tiny therapeutic oasis.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 22, 2023

Wintertime thunder can be harder to hear than in a summer storm because of the muffling effect of the snow, but it is the result of the same mechanics inside the storm cloud.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2023

I pull one of her pillows over my head, muffling my words.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy