often attributive
1
a
: a body tissue consisting of long cells that contract when stimulated and produce motion
b
: an organ that is essentially a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point and that by contracting moves or checks the movement of a body part
muscled; muscling
ˈmə-s(ə-)liŋ 
: to move or force by or as if by muscular effort
muscled him out of office
: to make one's way by brute strength or by force
Synonyms
Examples of muscle in a Sentence
Noun
the muscles of the arm
an athlete with bulging muscles
He pulled a muscle playing tennis.
She has a strained muscle in her back.
She started lifting weights to build muscle.
She doesn't have the muscle to lift something so heavy.
Verb
They muscled the heavy boxes onto the truck.
They muscled the furniture up the stairs.
He muscled through the crowd.
They muscled into line behind us.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Sep. 2023
In response, antibodies produced by the immune system get misdirected while attempting to fight an invading bacteria or virus and instead attack the nervous system, triggering inflammation of the nerves that can cause progressive muscle weakness and even paralysis.
—Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
Symptoms may include:2 Fatigue that interferes with daily life
Fever
Shortness of breath
Lingering cough
Elevated heart rate
Difficulty concentrating or thinking (brain fog)
Loss of smell or taste
Gastrointestinal issues
Joint or muscle pain
Rash
Why Is Long COVID Decreasing?
—Sarah Scott, Verywell Health, 18 Sep. 2023
Hard plastic teeth ripped through his muscles, tearing open his forearm down to the bone.
—Hannah Dreier Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
The 24-year-old righthander has missed most of the season with a muscle strain in his shoulder.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
McComsey said fatigue and muscle aches usually last a couple of days, whereas congestion can sometimes last a few weeks.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023
Josh Naylor, who spent all of August on the injured list with a strained right oblique muscle, hit .320 (8 for 25) with two doubles, two homers and eight RBI on the trip.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 15 Sep. 2023
Pilates is a challenging, low-impact workout that can be a game-changer for toning muscles, improving postural alignment, increasing flexibility, and priming your core for flatter, stronger obliques.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Sep. 2023
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
There’s no way to know the scope or depth of what USD is investigating, because the university is muscling those sorts of relevant answers into the shadows.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
Eli Morgan replaced Sandlin with runners on the corners, but Freeman muscled another soft liner just out of Rocchio’s reach into left for an RBI single.
—Joe Noga, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
On the western bank, David Adjaye’s 130 William Street, a condo in the form of a castle keep, muscles its way into the Financial District’s lineup.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Aug. 2023
Forecast in detail Potentially two rounds of showers and a few storms — one this morning and another late tonight into early Friday — help to hold down the heat trying to muscle into our area from the Midwest.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023
That was a sentiment shared by Colorado progressives, who were frustrated their party didn’t muscle through an assault weapons ban and other priorities of the left during the most recent legislative session.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Anchorage Daily News, 6 July 2023
Azaria has fun with what appears to be an Israeli mobster who muscled and guiled his way into showbiz.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2023
While a similar bipartisan effort powered the CHIPS bill to passage, investing $50 billion in semiconductors and science research, Democrats alone muscled the Inflation Reduction Act into law late over steep Republican opposition, which continues to this day.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
Noun
Protein also helps preserve muscle mass while boosting metabolism.3
Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Counting: Which Is More Effective for Weight Loss?
Don’t Forget to Stay Active
While diet is the most important aspect of weight loss, exercise is critical for maintaining it.
—Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Sep. 2023
In response, antibodies produced by the immune system get misdirected while attempting to fight an invading bacteria or virus and instead attack the nervous system, triggering inflammation of the nerves that can cause progressive muscle weakness and even paralysis.
—Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
Symptoms may include:2 Fatigue that interferes with daily life
Fever
Shortness of breath
Lingering cough
Elevated heart rate
Difficulty concentrating or thinking (brain fog)
Loss of smell or taste
Gastrointestinal issues
Joint or muscle pain
Rash
Why Is Long COVID Decreasing?
—Sarah Scott, Verywell Health, 18 Sep. 2023
Hard plastic teeth ripped through his muscles, tearing open his forearm down to the bone.
—Hannah Dreier Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
The 24-year-old righthander has missed most of the season with a muscle strain in his shoulder.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
McComsey said fatigue and muscle aches usually last a couple of days, whereas congestion can sometimes last a few weeks.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023
Josh Naylor, who spent all of August on the injured list with a strained right oblique muscle, hit .320 (8 for 25) with two doubles, two homers and eight RBI on the trip.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 15 Sep. 2023
Pilates is a challenging, low-impact workout that can be a game-changer for toning muscles, improving postural alignment, increasing flexibility, and priming your core for flatter, stronger obliques.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Sep. 2023
Verb
The saga over Assembly Bill 257, also known as the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, started last year when the SEIU muscled the proposal through the state Legislature with the help of its Democratic allies.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
There’s no way to know the scope or depth of what USD is investigating, because the university is muscling those sorts of relevant answers into the shadows.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
Eli Morgan replaced Sandlin with runners on the corners, but Freeman muscled another soft liner just out of Rocchio’s reach into left for an RBI single.
—Joe Noga, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
On the western bank, David Adjaye’s 130 William Street, a condo in the form of a castle keep, muscles its way into the Financial District’s lineup.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Aug. 2023
Forecast in detail Potentially two rounds of showers and a few storms — one this morning and another late tonight into early Friday — help to hold down the heat trying to muscle into our area from the Midwest.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023
That was a sentiment shared by Colorado progressives, who were frustrated their party didn’t muscle through an assault weapons ban and other priorities of the left during the most recent legislative session.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Anchorage Daily News, 6 July 2023
Azaria has fun with what appears to be an Israeli mobster who muscled and guiled his way into showbiz.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2023
While a similar bipartisan effort powered the CHIPS bill to passage, investing $50 billion in semiconductors and science research, Democrats alone muscled the Inflation Reduction Act into law late over steep Republican opposition, which continues to this day.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'muscle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Latin musculus, from diminutive of mus mouse — more at mouse entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
circa 1819, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of muscle was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing muscle
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Dictionary Entries Near muscle
Cite this Entry
“Muscle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muscle. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
muscle
1 of 2 noun
mus·cle
ˈməs-əl
1
a
: a body tissue consisting of long cells that can contract and produce motion
b
: an organ that is a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point (as to bones) and that by contracting moves or stops the movement of a body part
2
a
: muscular strength : brawn
b
: power entry 1 sense 2
lacks the muscle to make good on campaign promises
muscle
2 of 2 verb
muscled; muscling
ˈməs-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to force from a position
was muscled out of office by political opponents
2
: to force one's way
muscled through the crowd
Etymology
Noun
from Latin musculus "muscle, little mouse," from mus "mouse"
Word Origin
People today are perhaps unlikely to think of their muscles as resembling mice. The ancient Romans, however, saw a likeness, especially in the major muscles of the arms and legs. For that reason the Latin word musculus, which originally meant "little mouse," came to be used to mean "muscle."
Medical Definition
muscle
noun
mus·cle
ˈməs-əl
often attributive
1
: a body tissue consisting of long cells that contract when stimulated and produce motion see cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, striated muscle
2
: an organ that is essentially a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point and that by contracting moves or checks the movement of a body part see agonist sense 1, antagonist sense a, synergist sense 2
More from Merriam-Webster on muscle
Nglish: Translation of muscle for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of muscle for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muscle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share