mire 1 of 2

noun

ˈmī(-ə)r How to pronounce mire (audio)
Definition of mirenext
1
as in mud
soft wet earth played on a football field that was thick with mire

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2
as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water much of the land in that area is mire that cannot be developed

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3
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape an abused wife who was hopelessly stuck in a mire of emotional dependency

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mire

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to stain
to make dirty the sight of the standard, which had emerged from the battle mangled and mired, still stirred the soldiers' hearts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trap
to place in conflict or difficulties the case has been mired in probate court for years

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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 mire
Noun
The team found a major levoglucosan peak centered around 1128 CE, coinciding with a similar peak recorded from the Schwarzboden mire peat core, another important reservoir of atmospheric history sampled about 12 miles southeast of Weißseespitze. — Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2026 You're then left with a low-profile tow-anywhere trailer that wants nothing more than to grab hold of your favorite bikes and splash through mud and mire, hell and high water, to get you to your favorite trails, jumps and whoops. — New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Buffaloes are mired in a five-game losing streak, remain winless in Big 12 play and sit at the bottom of the 16-team conference. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Like all health care in the United States, fertility care is mired by fragmentation and inadequate transparency on cost, price, and billing. — Pooja Yerramilli, STAT, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mire
  1. mud
  2. marsh
  3. predicament
  4. stain
  5. trap
  6. swamp
  7. pickle
  8. muck
Noun
  • The Sense of Luxor treatment includes a detoxifying mud or nourishing chocolate wrap, followed by a reflexology sessions and a relaxing aromatherapy massage.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • On Monday, Greg Ewing was among some 200 community members who used shovels and skid steers to remove the mud in Bradner’s neighborhood.
    — Christopher Weber, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of mud
Noun
  • Viewed from the waters of Turner Creek, a serpentine tributary east of Savannah, the dock stretches so far across the marsh that even those with 20-20 vision must squint to see where planking meets terra firma.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Before the healing process was complete, however, Scotty died in what scientists believe was a salty marsh.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of marsh
Noun
  • Her discontent is shared by Sam, who’s in his own powerless predicament.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The marvel is how many times friends helped him out of this predicament throughout his life.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of predicament
Verb
  • Donning a pink skirt suit and matching pillbox hat stained with fake blood, Fox stepped out as the former First Lady during an event for Urban Decay.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The sculptures were frequently stained with graphite or chalk dust, whose force of presence was comparable to that of cliff or cave, capable of stunning the viewer into silence.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • Residents trapped in homes In Sedona, longtime resident Michelle Grimm worried about her community after viewing the rushing waters of Oak Creek rising perilously close to the underside of a pedestrian bridge near the center of town.
    — Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • But since the sector began unravelling five years ago, household savings have remained trapped in falling assets, driving some capital into the domestic stock market.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of trap
Noun
  • To my right, the edge of a brushy swale wound its way down to the big willow swamp 200 yards away.
    — Don J. Dinndorf, Outdoor Life, 31 Oct. 2026
  • For wet soils, consider overcup, swamp white, pin, or nuttall oaks.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of swamp
Noun
  • Some fans are staunch defenders of the polarizing pork sandwich, which consists of a boneless pork patty smothered in tangy barbecue sauce, topped with onions and pickles and served on a toasted roll.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Most ingredients, including pickles and dressings, are made in-house.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pickle
Verb
  • Why, then, with so much at stake in November, would one of Pelosi‘s last acts before retirement be mucking about in the elbow-throwing, bone-crunching race between the two San Francisco Democrats vying to succeed her in January?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • He's been mucking about with them for going on 60 years, and decided to enter the contest for the first time in 2025.
    — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of muck

Browse Nearby Words

mirages
mire
mired
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Cite this Entry

“Mire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mire. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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