Illustration of muff
muffed; muffing; muffs
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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Watching the race in person requires ear muffs and a willingness to hear your brain and heart vibrate to a motor’s adrenaline.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Third baseman Hedges muffed a barehand attempt when the ball bounced with funky spin on a hard bunt that one-hopped.
—Shotgun Spratling, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
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Noun
Dogs' hearing is about four times stronger than humans', so ear muffs are sometimes used to protect their ears in loud environments which can cause stress or hearing damage, according to the American Kennel Club.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Watching the race in person requires ear muffs and a willingness to hear your brain and heart vibrate to a motor’s adrenaline.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
Third baseman Miguel Vargas let an infield popup drop in the second, then muffed the pickup before recovering and getting a forceout at second.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Third baseman Hedges muffed a barehand attempt when the ball bounced with funky spin on a hard bunt that one-hopped.
—Shotgun Spratling, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for muff
Cite this Entry
“Muff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muff. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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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