1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
spattered with muck from the pigpen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
4
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
there's some solid substance in this book, but the reader has to trudge through a lot of muck to get to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to stain
to make dirty
you can't work in the garden and not expect to muck your clothes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of muck
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
As the men tumbled down the grade’s shoulder into muck and brush, the speeders rammed together.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 2 Feb. 2026
Siniaková, the No. 1 doubles player in the world, started to muck things up, and Anisimova’s serve began to stray.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muck
Noun
Cormorants that tried to clean each other with their beaks died after ingesting the viscous muck.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
As the men tumbled down the grade’s shoulder into muck and brush, the speeders rammed together.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
The federal government shutdown in October might have mucked things up.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 2 Feb. 2026
Siniaková, the No. 1 doubles player in the world, started to muck things up, and Anisimova’s serve began to stray.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck
Noun
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Place a few scoops of dirt into each container using a hand trowel; then moisten both batches of dirt with a half cup of water.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
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The ReCAM project aims to change this by using advanced technology and AI to process this dirt locally, turning it directly back into high-grade battery components.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Noun
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There are mud pools from Yellowstone National Park that have a squeamish gurgle, and hearing them amid a crackling bonfire feels unexpectedly harmonious, even plausible.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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On Tuesday, crews will check on Indian Creek Trail and any mud deposits — which can be very slippery for equipment to drive on.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And today the district, which is in charge of the lake’s restoration, regularly harvests thousands of pounds of gizzard shad, a bottom-feeding junk fish that stirs up and eats nutrients on the lake floor.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
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In reality, this is junk science and government overreach.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Not a dog barking or a feral cat knocking the lid off the garbage.—
Ellen Bass,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The protester who threw a garbage bin was arrested for reckless endangerment shortly after cops arrive, officials said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Customize it by painting the wood a fun color or staining it for a rustic look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For example, most labels won’t tell you what kind of soil a plant needs; only some plants can handle the dense, alkaline clay soil common in the Chicago area.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Many solitary wasps dig nesting chambers in sandy soils, like the cicada killer and the great golden digger wasps.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Noun
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At first glance, the breakfast buffet seems to be a rather average array of yogurt, cheeses, cold cuts, and scrambled eggs, but don’t sleep on the chef’s homemade cakes and pastries.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 May 2026
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The restaurant is smoking up plenty of brisket and enormous beef ribs — along with chicken and pork — to go with mac and cheese, baked beans, collard greens, potato salad and other Southern sides.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
4 May 2026
Noun
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And Bianco’s rhetoric about forcing changes in state law enforcement — especially on immigration — without the cooperation of Democratic supermajorities in the Legislature is authoritarian nonsense.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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There’s still all this nonsense about the temptation of the female body, and the need for nuns to shield themselves from prying eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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