Illustration of muzzle
- muzzle 2a
1
: the projecting jaws and nose of an animal : snout
2
a
: a fastening or covering for the mouth of an animal used to prevent eating or biting
b
: something (such as censorship) that restrains normal expression
3
: the open end of an implement
especially
: the discharging end of a weapon
Examples of muzzle in a Sentence
Verb
a dangerous dog that should be muzzled
attempts by the government to muzzle the press
The company has tried to muzzle its employees by forbidding them to speak to the press.
Recent Examples on the Web
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 June 2025
At Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course on Sept. 15, a Secret Service agent scoping out the area one or two holes ahead of him saw the muzzle of an AK-47-style weapon pointing out of the tree line on the perimeter of the course.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
Fara Dabhoiwala, Harpers Magazine, 4 June 2025
Their leaders secured power through democratic elections and then muzzled the opposition and dismantled democratic institutions.
—Howard L. Simon, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for muzzle
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Noun
Juma and the camera are both near enough to the chaos to see muzzle flashes up close.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 June 2025
At Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course on Sept. 15, a Secret Service agent scoping out the area one or two holes ahead of him saw the muzzle of an AK-47-style weapon pointing out of the tree line on the perimeter of the course.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
Verb
Until the late 1710s, serious efforts were made to reintroduce some form of censorship, and in 1737 the Theatre Licensing Act muzzled political criticism from the stage by giving the government absolute power to censor plays and close theaters.
—Fara Dabhoiwala, Harpers Magazine, 4 June 2025
Their leaders secured power through democratic elections and then muzzled the opposition and dismantled democratic institutions.
—Howard L. Simon, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for muzzle
Cite this Entry
“Muzzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muzzle. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
muzzle
2 of 2 verb
muzzled; muzzling
ˈməz-(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to put a muzzle on
2
: to prevent free or normal expression by : gag
the dictator muzzled the press
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