ATHLETIC Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

athletic

adjective

Definition of athletic

as in muscular

having great physical strength, skill, or ability She had always been athletic, playing multiple sports even as a child.

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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 athletic There’s a new athletic director, a new coach and new policies on transfers, with Kasek approving all transfer paperwork. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The youngest of eight siblings, Robert was funny, easygoing and athletic. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Goaded on by a governor, who handpicked the university president and staged a coup to overthrow one athletic director in order to hire Kiffin, the bayou bandits are proudly wearing their black hats. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Several athletes sued the Ivy and its eight members on antitrust grounds over their policy of not offering athletic scholarships. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for athletic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for athletic

Adjective

The sense of doom freed them to push hard into a rich new pop direction, filling Sound of Lies with songs that were deeply felt and sometimes dark amid the muscular pop hooks.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026
The Brooks Ghost Max SE is built with a glide roll rocker sole that helps to minimize muscular strain near the ankles.

— Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of muscular

Adjective

Reason for hope on defense If the top players on the back end stay healthy, this secondary will be one of the best in the NFL.

— Chad Graff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
This year, thanks to a healthy budget allocation from the state, the CSU Board of Trustees decided to advance some capital projects.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of healthy

Adjective

The latest forecast predicts the center will pass roughly 115 to 150 miles west of Kauai, close enough that any additional eastward shifts in the track could bring stronger winds and greater impacts, particularly to Kauai, the hurricane center said.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Design delivers low noise and vibration levels The new Elegance Pod is being developed with a strong focus on total system efficiency.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of strong

Adjective

Maybe my argument was so strong, the AI would realize that its tech overlords were using this insanely powerful technology not to solve hunger or climate change, but to make reading less essential.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
This stone is part of a larger labyrinth that eventually reaches an ocean in a system of deep, powerful interdependence.

— Supriya Lopez Pillai, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of powerful

Adjective

From there, leaders can direct their teams to create stronger connections that will make the organization more cohesive, responsive, agile and resilient.

— Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Our opportunity is to combine these digital capabilities with our apparel expertise to create a faster, more agile and data-driven product development ecosystem for our customers.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of agile

Adjective

Supporting and empowering women leaders is also about creating workplaces that are understanding, flexible and aware of the many responsibilities that women balance across their professional and personal lives, Cole stressed.

— WWD Staff, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Plastic is one of humanity’s most useful, flexible, and inexpensive inventions.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of flexible

Browse Nearby Words

athirst

athletic

athletics

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“Athletic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athletic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of athletic

adjective

Example Sentences

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