1
as in athletic
marked by a well-developed musculature
Olympic runners tend to have very muscular legs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
To be sure, tax cuts and muscular national defense and a gimlet eye on other programs had been components of Republican platforms for generations.
—
Ron Elving, NPR, 17 May 2025
The snake uses large eyes in daylight and heat-sensing divots along its lips in darkness to detect and ambush unlucky birds, bats and rodents that come too close, stopping their hearts with a muscular embrace.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
Indeed, an ascendant wing of the Republican Party has actively pushed for a more muscular government—in the areas of family and industrial policy, for example—after reaching the conclusion that Reagan-style market orthodoxy has hollowed out communities, among other bad outcomes.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Dominic Solanke is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to West Ham United after also being forced off with a muscular problem during the Europa League tie.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscular
Ron Elving, NPR, 17 May 2025
The snake uses large eyes in daylight and heat-sensing divots along its lips in darkness to detect and ambush unlucky birds, bats and rodents that come too close, stopping their hearts with a muscular embrace.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
Indeed, an ascendant wing of the Republican Party has actively pushed for a more muscular government—in the areas of family and industrial policy, for example—after reaching the conclusion that Reagan-style market orthodoxy has hollowed out communities, among other bad outcomes.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Dominic Solanke is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to West Ham United after also being forced off with a muscular problem during the Europa League tie.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscular
Adjective
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Although Durant was unquestionably the better Thunder player during his stint with Westbrook and Harden, Westbrook had the longer run, playing in Oklahoma City through close to the tail end of his athletic prime.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
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Sabol, an operations manager from Madison with an athletic background that bonded her with the show's lead, entered the finale of the Fox reality show as one of two women left on Farmer Jay Woods' Alabama farm.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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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
-
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
Adjective
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The 82-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, with 1 in 8 being diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Nonprofits focused on such issues could be seen as antagonistic to the company’s aggressive commercialization efforts.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Oklahoma City is rich in First American history and culture, and there are myriad ways to connect with it, from authentic Native American restaurants to attending cultural events and shopping at local businesses.—
Anne Roderique-Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
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Behind the fizz is a category rich in history, layered with tradition, and increasingly serious about quality.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Think Zaha Hadid, known for her futuristic, sinewy forms that seem to defy structural logic (see, for example, the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan).—
Nick Remsen,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
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One longs for the sinewy action of a Transformers flick, or the imaginative gravity of something like the first Pacific Rim.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The product of multiple mergers of powerful Hollywood talent groups, Endeavor includes much more than WME Sports.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Perhaps just as importantly, here’s hoping America’s most wealthiest and most powerful people and institutions stop caving to Trump’s diktats.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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When thinning, aim to leave the strongest seedlings and remove less vigorous neighbors.—
Viveka Neveln,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 May 2025
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Mow lawns often enough to keep turf at the proper height for vigorous growth.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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There were decreases in cities with robust service organizations and some that have leaned more heavily on police.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 May 2025
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However, the state’s schools have also made their behavioral threat assessment teams more robust in recent years.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muscular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscular. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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