as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
I have to wash my hands; I got gunk all over them somehow
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gunk
The other takes place during a flight — Lindsay wiping gunk from the toilet seat and transferring it to the rim of the cup Ashley drinks from.
—
Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Soapy water is her go-to for scrubbing away greasy gunk.
—Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
The baking soda and vinegar work together to dislodge and loosen gunk blocking the drain.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 1 Apr. 2026
Enhancing the extraterrestrial vibe are the two clear, plastic tubes (called drains) sprouting from their heads, through which all manner of blood and ooze exit the face, dripping into suction bulbs that dangle below their ears, storing the gunk.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Soapy water is her go-to for scrubbing away greasy gunk.
—Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
The baking soda and vinegar work together to dislodge and loosen gunk blocking the drain.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 1 Apr. 2026
Enhancing the extraterrestrial vibe are the two clear, plastic tubes (called drains) sprouting from their heads, through which all manner of blood and ooze exit the face, dripping into suction bulbs that dangle below their ears, storing the gunk.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
Noun
-
Hip-checked by Seymour on the play at the plate, Neto remained on the dirt for several minutes before athletic trainers helped him to his feet.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Coming off the field, Sosa spiked the ball off the dirt toward the pitcher’s circle.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
People get mired in all kinds of muck and yuck by the slop on social media.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was the first to prominently step into the muck at the University of Central Florida.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Cats become infected by eating raw meat, birds, mice or contaminated soil, and only cats that are actively shedding parasites in their stool can spread it.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Plant them at least 12 inches apart from each other and bury them completely in soil, leaving only the leaves exposed.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Ironically, the onslaught of AI sludge reshaping the look and feel of life online today has been steadily compelling some viewers to embrace exploring last century’s cinema in the real world.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
-
Brine is a super-concentrated, suffocating saltwater sludge, which kills marine life.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
As The Guardian reported back in 2021, the majority of homes in New York's Suffolk County rely on individual septic systems, and the town of Southampton has never built a centralized sewage network.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
30 May 2026
-
That metabolite is then excreted in urine, enters sewage systems, passes through wastewater treatment plants and, eventually, makes its way back into local rivers, lakes and coastal waters.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
There are blue spots, specks, scratches, flares, and bits of crud in almost ALL of the Apollo photos.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, with some vandalizing shops and setting fires to garbage and self-service bicycles in the streets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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Protesters were later seen pelting ICE vehicles with kitchen towels and trash as garbage littered the ground.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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