gunk

noun

ˈgəŋk How to pronounce gunk (audio)
Definition of gunknext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 gunk Using a small stiff brush, clean out any gunk or debris in the screen door’s tracks. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026 Vacuuming to waste bypasses the pool’s filter, sending the water and gunk straight out the drain hose. — Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 This causes grounds to stick to the sides of the chamber rather than ending up in your dose, which can screw with the weight and ultimately accelerate the buildup of gunk. — Pete Cottell, Wired News, 29 May 2026 Using a small scrub brush, scrape out any gunk that's built in your P-trap. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
  1. dirt
  2. muck
  3. soil
  4. sludge
  5. sewage
  6. crud
  7. garbage
Noun
  • Turn hard, compacted dirt into rich, workable soil in no time with the Sun Joe Electric Garden Tiller.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Kate Roberts secretly arranged to dig up dirt on her rival and Sheryl's old friend, Jordan Ridgeway.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of dirt
Noun
  • Rescuers were able to pull the woman out of the muck and rushed her to a local hospital, where she was treated for severe dehydration, prolonged sun exposure and other injuries.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • No wonder Yard Act realized music is the lifeline that just might pull us back out of the muck.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • Alford also commented on the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the long-standing interpretation that anyone born on American soil is an American citizen.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
  • German rockets launching from Canadian soil may be a bridge to that until Canadian companies can develop their own boosters.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • But the real key to the magic is that frenetic tone — the dirty, grungy, previously unheard sludge created when guitarist/Ray’s brother Dave Davies slashed his amp’s speaker with a razor.
    — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Inline water filters can be installed and are widely used to trap dirt, debris, and sludge.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026
Definition of sludge
Noun
  • The theory is that the deluge, which broke January daily rainfall records for Sydney, flushed sewage and other waste into the nearby coastal waters, attracting baitfish, which in turn lured sharks closer to shore.
    — Sam Nichols, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
  • Haverhill installed a second bypass line to help better control the flow of sewage after two breaks and a massive sewage overflow for five days last week, helping secure the system as more rains threatened the temporary bypass Tuesday.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • There used to be more opportunities, in other words, to separate the wheat from the crud.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
  • This isn't just unsanitary—the buildup of crud could eventually interfere with your mixer's moving parts.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Definition of crud
Noun
  • Instead, rival parties united in dismissing his actions as a stunt, leaving his only opponent to be a garbage-can wearing comedian whose policies include forcing rule-breaking cyclists to ride unicycles.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • Using a plastic bag to collect the soil and disposing of it in the garbage — not green yard waste bins — will help to reduce the spread of airborne chemicals.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of garbage

Browse Nearby Words

gung ho
gunk
gunky
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Cite this Entry

“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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