as in mutter
speech that is not clear enough to be understood
barely heard mutterings of discontent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in mumbling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
a muttering group of workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murmuring
to speak softly and unclearly
muttering to himself under his breath
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muttering
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
That’s led to some muttering about whether someone could catch him in the rankings by next summer.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
My husband has been muttering in a loop about tuition, books, food, and transportation to and from home to campus.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
The camera then turns to James Austin Johnson, who played the president, sleeping and muttering New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s name.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for muttering
Noun
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To this day, the cooing and mutter of pigeons can lull me into a space of deep enjoyment.—
Adjective
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The stop-motion digital series about a jolly, mumbling, pint-size cook serves up a big slice of serotonin.—
Verb
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But the same town also was sued in November by Stillson LLC, a company complaining because zoners approved an 8-30g project.—
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From bartenders in Virginia-Highland to servers in Alpharetta, several employees of food and drink businesses reported customers complaining about water that tastes like mildew.—
Verb
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Two students have unrolled what looks like an incomplete treasure map, and lean over it with magnifying glasses, murmuring to one another.—
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The music cuts off, and, gradually, everyone leaves, murmuring about a rave happening not too far away.—
Verb
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According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.—
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Avid viewers of The Studio will appreciate the callback to a watershed episode this season when Ice Cube, as himself, uttered the same to a room filled with screaming fans, causing a fresh headache for Seth Rogen’s backlot boss Matt Remick.—
Noun
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Every offseason, the whispers of PGA Tour stars defecting to LIV Golf swirl like clockwork.—
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This could trigger everything from whispers and misunderstandings to grudges that resurface in the group chat.—
Adjective
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The climate alarm machine—powered by the twin engines of moral panic and groupthink homogeneity—is sputtering.—
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Flat out, when the Bills’ offense was sputtering, the defense stole the game right from the Steelers’ grasp.—
Verb
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Illinois Republicans have turned whining into an artform.—
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First came Notre Dame whining over missing out on a College Football Playoff invite.—
Cite this Entry
“Muttering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muttering. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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