1
as in marshes
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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2
as in dilemmas
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in stains
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mires
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
Pretty bad is the stuff that mires a team in mediocrity.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mires
Noun
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Upon entering the Visitor's Center, guests are greeted by life-size models of North Atlantic right whales, dolphins, and manta rays, along with dioramas depicting marshes, sand dunes, and coastal habitats.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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The island is still home to oaks covered in Spanish moss, unpaved roads, undeveloped beaches and marshes.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
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Braude grounds his narrative in the persistent dilemmas of journalism, especially the question of how to tell the story of a bewildering moment without the benefit of hindsight.—
Casey Schwartz,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
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The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When a storm traps everyone inside, Hannah must find the culprit before the road clears and the killer escapes.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Mar. 2026
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The microfiber head traps dust and dirt to minimize debris that falls to the floor.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Surrounded by farmland and wetlands, three generations of the Hunter family have grown crops and raised cattle, chickens and horses in this quiet corner of northwest Indiana.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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And as the years are passing, climate change is getting worse, and the droughts are getting worse, and the fires are getting worse, and the ability for beaver wetlands to resist that was not changing.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wire pin or slicker brushes work best for dogs with long hair that tangles easily.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mires. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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