1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
you must have stepped in something, because there's crud all over your shoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bastard
slang
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
I don't care how hip that clothing store is, their employees behave like absolute cruds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crud
But my 7-year-old needs to go to second grade, and there's just going to be crud that comes home.
—
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Both trap and transport crud from airport terminals and hotel lobbies, city streets and parking lots.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
For stuck-on crud, scrape with a flat spatula; your pan can handle it.
—Julie Harans, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025
Baking soda and water can be a good, inexpensive mixture to clean corrosion and crud from a car battery.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crud
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Both trap and transport crud from airport terminals and hotel lobbies, city streets and parking lots.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
For stuck-on crud, scrape with a flat spatula; your pan can handle it.
—Julie Harans, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025
Baking soda and water can be a good, inexpensive mixture to clean corrosion and crud from a car battery.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crud
Noun
-
While the state emphasized the link between the mud on Debe's tire and the soil from Bob Atrops' front yard, the defense says that this soil is everywhere in the region and is as common as — dirt.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Now, this Tiktok trend has in general not been like ones that have told you to eat dirt—which, by the way, shouldn’t do—or drop heavy objects on your feet—which also isn’t a good thing to do.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Lots of mud, mixed with blood and guts, because what’s Westeros if not a queasy swill of muck and bodily fluids?—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
And in fitting Tomlin style, Pittsburgh let a chance to wrap up the division slip away during a three-hour pratfall in the muck at Cleveland last weekend.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drift through the crowd as the smell of smoky jerk chicken and grilled cheese mingles with fresh lumpia, vegan soul bowls, and small-batch kombucha.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The Store offers flavors such as buffalo, garlic parmesan, barbecue, sweet chili, Torrington Hot, mango habanero, Jamaican jerk, spicy harissa, lemon pepper, Marsala, spicy Mediterranean, Tunisian buffalo and garlic hot.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These soils are low in nutrients, drain quickly but retain small reserves of moisture, and warm rapidly in sunlight before releasing heat at night.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
According to AccuWeather, frost quakes, also sometimes called icequakes, are seismic events caused by a sudden cracking action in frozen soil or rock saturated with water or ice.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
However, one quick look at what companies like Boston Dynamics has achieved with robots like the rather creepy dog-like ‘Spot,’ who herds sheep in New Zealand, and the possibilities seem endless.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
While dogs and wolves are genetically almost indistinguishable, the biologist John Bradshaw has studied how vastly different their behavior is.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In 2013 Coogan cofounded the buzzy nutrient-sludge-for-workaholics company Soylent.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
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Many of the crude deposits are in the form of a heavy sludge, which is difficult to extract and refine.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Brewer depicts the world of music impersonators with a fair amount of affection, like the rodeo clowns of late 20th-century America.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cirque du Soleil is known for its shows featuring acrobats, athletes and clowns – all doing spectacular feats.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
All of that use can cause buildup and gunk, which can affect the taste of your coffee and the lifespan of your machine.—
Louryn Strampe,
Wired News,
19 Jan. 2026
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Drop the filters into the soapy water and soak them for 15-30 minutes to easily lift and loosen grease and gunk.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crud. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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