1
as in athletic
marked by a well-developed musculature
Olympic runners tend to have very muscular legs
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2
as in strong
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
a muscular superhero who can easily lift a ton or more
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3
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
a presidential speech that promises to be a muscular enunciation of the nation's foreign policy
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4
as in rich
having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor)
a muscular red wine that goes especially well with beef
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muscular
Heavy-bodied appearance: Rattlesnakes generally have thick, muscular bodies compared to many other snakes.
—
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
His body was muscular and oily, his long, thin hair banana-yellow.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025
The second, just released on Thursday, is all-electric and perhaps just as sleek and muscular.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 25 July 2025
The young Eastwood was a tall and muscular outdoorsman who’d watched lots of movies as an adolescent and had travelled up and down the coast for manual-labor jobs.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscular
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
His body was muscular and oily, his long, thin hair banana-yellow.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025
The second, just released on Thursday, is all-electric and perhaps just as sleek and muscular.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 25 July 2025
The young Eastwood was a tall and muscular outdoorsman who’d watched lots of movies as an adolescent and had travelled up and down the coast for manual-labor jobs.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscular
Adjective
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One of the top quarterbacks in the Fort Worth area is taking the next step in his athletic career.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Aug. 2025
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The issue came up because the Ravens recently renovated their athletic performance center, which now includes a recovery pool.—
Sophie Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
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This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Potential Fed chair David Zervos backs an aggressive rate cut.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
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Poor oral hygiene allows plaque bacteria to produce acids that contribute to decay, while aggressive brushing can physically wear away the enamel surface.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The whiskey features rich aromas of vanilla, pipe tobacco, old leather, and cinnamon.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Shot over three years on a vintage Bolex camera, the film is a rich portrait of an elderly, unnamed woman who, born in a cave more than 60 years ago, now lives in a village caring for her children and grandchildren.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This sort of article, in which a beleaguered athlete reports that he’s been training constantly and shows off sinewy triceps and diamond-cut calves, has a long tradition in sports media.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
3 Aug. 2025
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Once neighbors had amassed a pile of larger items, one of the camp's earliest residents, a sinewy man in his 50s named Tom Rock, walked over and began helping to lift them into the dumpster.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Google has also begun rolling out two powerful filters for album searches.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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That cell is reportedly allied with one of the two main factions of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, according to the University of San Diego’s Justice in Mexico project.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Not surprisingly, the live take from the Aug. 2 gig features vigorous chorus help from the stadium crowd, a staple of the enthusiastic response from diehards during the band’s first run of UK dates on their Live ’25 tour.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
14 Aug. 2025
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The voters are entitled to a fair election and a vigorous debate on the issues and the ongoing effort by both political parties, now reaching a fever pitch, to make more and more of those elections non-competitive is excluding that debate and detrimental to problem-solving and to our country.—
Kevin Igoe,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For example, say an electronics company that recently released its latest smartphone model noticed sales were struggling in a region that was historically a robust market.—
Cassi Hallam,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Immigration enforcement in the country’s interior also has been robust.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muscular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscular. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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