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
Fresh off a surprise cosign from Aespa member Giselle, zayok is one of the leaders of an amorphous digital scene that includes gunk and sydney runner, whose music iterates on carbine-y wonkiness to form a new kind of balladry halfway between SoundCloud IDM, rap, and voice memo.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
The Columbia Venturetrot Boot is made out of vulcanized rubber (hardened by heat and sulfur) for durability, and mud and gunk just slide right off of it.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
For a meditation on human frailty, look no further than Clare Barron, a playwright deeply fond of bruises and bleeding, scabs and gunk.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
Once the gunk loosens, simply wipe the interior clean with a cloth.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
The Columbia Venturetrot Boot is made out of vulcanized rubber (hardened by heat and sulfur) for durability, and mud and gunk just slide right off of it.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
For a meditation on human frailty, look no further than Clare Barron, a playwright deeply fond of bruises and bleeding, scabs and gunk.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
Once the gunk loosens, simply wipe the interior clean with a cloth.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
Noun
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The pile of rock, dirt and low-quality coal began slowly burning two decades ago, according to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS).—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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By blending emotionally powerful country sonics with red-dirt sound, Bowlin evokes the energy of names such as Jason Isbell, Zach Bryan and the early work of BJ Barham and American Aquarium.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cormorants that tried to clean each other with their beaks died after ingesting the viscous muck.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
As the men tumbled down the grade’s shoulder into muck and brush, the speeders rammed together.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The trigger for the entertainment ban was a South Korean decision to allow the United States to deploy an anti-missile system on its soil.—
Ken Moritsugu,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
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Keep in mind that weeds have evolved some very strong strategies to thrive in disturbed soil, despite farmers’ exhaustive efforts to control them.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Crumbled sidewalks were replaced by planks that covered the sludge that concealed the ancient wood fretwork that buried the bones of the metropolis and its people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The second is a 100-day sludge line that will poison the reserves oil-hungry nations are racing to drain.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Within minutes, a dark brew of sewage, industrial waste, and stormwater was rising through basements and businesses, hospitals and the central rail station, knocking out power and causing a billion dollars in damage.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Nest Burger at 2540 East Plano Parkway Suite was temporarily closed after inspectors observed a lack of adequate sewage disposal facilities in the kitchen causing an immediate public health hazard.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That includes self emptying debris into a washable bin that should hold up to a month's worth of crud, cleaning its own mop pad with hot water and drying it with hot air, and self-refilling with clean water from a tank inside its dock.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Mar. 2026
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That crud jams up the works of your coffee maker, slows brewing down, and impacts the taste of your morning brew.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Down where the Pigeons toiled, two-foot piles of garbage cluttered blocks lined with storage-unit facilities, budget hotels, abandoned RVs and parking lots sealed with rusted razor wire.—
TIM CRAIG THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2026
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Her body was found wrapped in blankets and garbage bags in the bed of a second-story room.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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