gunk up
verb
gunked up; gunking up; gunks up
US, informal
: to cause (something) to be dirty, sticky, or greasy
Don't gunk up your hair with a lot of styling products.
The mechanism gets gunked up if you don't clean it regularly.
Examples of gunk up in a Sentence
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Not only can the viscous substances gunk up the machine, leaving a residue and potentially feeding bacteria, but prolonged exposure to these molecules in the air can have negative effects, according to the American Lung Association.
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Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
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Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunk%20up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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