1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
I didn't like walking around the murky campground without a flashlight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the murky shadows of the cemetery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hazy
filled with or dimmed by fine particles (as of dust or water) in suspension
skies made murky from the smoke of forest fires that were many miles to the west
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
a murky reply to a question about his intentions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
a gubernatorial candidate with a murky position on the hot-button issue of capital punishment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of murky
On Bleecker Street, between Elizabeth and the Bowery, a shabby storefront, painted murky green, was once a destination for generations of photographers who had learned their trade by poring over the off-kilter images of Robert Frank.
—
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
What can make things murky, Hathaway says, is that Congress declining to order a withdrawal is not the same as authorizing the use of force.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026
But the future looks a bit murkier than that for the Longhorns (18-13, 9-9), who finished the regular season by dropping four of their last five games, including last Saturday's overtime heartbreaker, 88-85, at home to Oklahoma.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
The mining area, partly filled with murky, yellowish water, covers at least 1,000 square meters (1,200 square yards) on his farm.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for murky
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
What can make things murky, Hathaway says, is that Congress declining to order a withdrawal is not the same as authorizing the use of force.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026
But the future looks a bit murkier than that for the Longhorns (18-13, 9-9), who finished the regular season by dropping four of their last five games, including last Saturday's overtime heartbreaker, 88-85, at home to Oklahoma.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
The mining area, partly filled with murky, yellowish water, covers at least 1,000 square meters (1,200 square yards) on his farm.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for murky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murky
Adjective
-
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But the late-Baroque facade of the building conceals a special, darker history, one that reflects persistent political and legal problems for the bank thousands of miles away, in the US.—
Hugo Miller,
Bloomberg,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the plumes reached Western Europe, residents reported hazy skies in southern England and the Swiss and Italian Alps.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Cut yourself some slack at work today because there is a Moon Alert all day, which makes things hazy and indecisive.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The answer is not much—Fennell makes explicit, via sadomasochism, the power differentials and emotional degradations that are so often ambiguous in the original.—
Rhian Sasseen,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That the film doesn’t end on Marty’s comeuppance but something far more ambiguous feels correct.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The title Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is pretty vague, and the new trailer doesn’t clear much up.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This implies regime change, yet the administration’s ambitions have in fact been vague and inconsistent.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But just as the season was looking bleak, the Horned Frogs began to evolve into the best versions of themselves.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But as bleak losses pile up at the end of another disappointing season, this defensive disconnect remains a clear focal point for the team’s plans to build a better future.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Here's your 7-day forecast: CBS News Philadelphia Friday: Cloudy, misty, cool.—
Grant Gilmore,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The rest of the year is typically misty and foggy, with temperatures ranging from 37 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Annika Trost,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The composer behind Euphoria‘s memorable soundtrack called out the HBO show in a scathing and cryptic social media post.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With Liu's rise, her father's story bubbled up in China's social media, though any mention was usually brief and cryptic because the 1989 Tiananmen Movement — generally known as 6-4 for the date of the military crackdown, remains a deeply sensitive political taboo in China 37 years later.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Murky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murky. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
