1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
spattered with muck from the pigpen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
4
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
there's some solid substance in this book, but the reader has to trudge through a lot of muck to get to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to stain
to make dirty
you can't work in the garden and not expect to muck your clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
regretted the day she thought that it would be a good idea to muck about in the neighbors' marital problems
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muck
Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025
In the muck and gore of the First World War, a dysfunctional group of soldiers is sent into no-man’s land to recover the body of a fallen angel.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
The Tigers’ offense isn’t going to scare Georgia, but the Auburn defense is allowing 16.4 points per game and could muck this game up.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muck
Noun
Sure enough, the sticky surface of the connector segment back to Arizona Trail passage 3 brought up haunting memories of being mired in muck the previous month near the Mogollon Rim, and forced me to employ a new mud-scraping stick within an hour of getting back on trail.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025
In the muck and gore of the First World War, a dysfunctional group of soldiers is sent into no-man’s land to recover the body of a fallen angel.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
Spencer said that vibe came out of a band — which has been filled with Tweedy family pals including members of Finom — at liberty to muck about with the arrangements.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
The Tigers’ offense isn’t going to scare Georgia, but the Auburn defense is allowing 16.4 points per game and could muck this game up.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck
Noun
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From the first shovel of dirt to the final bolt on the basket, former Texas basketball coach Chris Beard watched Moody Center rise up in an empty lot and become one of the premier college basketball arenas in the country.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
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Prevent Blocked Drainage Holes One of Martha's favorite ways to repurpose broken terracotta pots is by placing them in the bottom of her planters to keep drainage holes clear of clumps of dirt or vegetation.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Lee paired them with flat lace-up boots — there’s a lot of mud at those festivals — and oversize bags edged with miles of fringe.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Thanks to the 2-inch rim, your baseboards are protected from any pesky mud that accumulates on the soles.—
Quincy Bulin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Most of that toxic junk was never found, Fernando added.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
There’s so much junk in Eggleston’s pictures.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And the magic elixir is able to turn garbage into Jan Ravnik, Swift's pinup backup dancer.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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Every winter, construction machines work around the clock to clear tons of garbage — plastic, furniture, medical waste — clogging the Drina River.—
Eldar Emric,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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All three fixtures are away, which provides an element of respite and protection for Hurzeler from the seething discontent on home soil.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cover with soil and keep moist.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit to allow cheese to melt, 5–10 minutes.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Pair it with chocolate desserts or even a stinky cheese like Camembert.—
Lanee Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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No gimmicks, no nonsense, straight shooter, the woman who gets things done.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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This was the nonsense that was going on here last week, just like every week.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Ask what went into bagged or bulk compost, and favor products made from yard waste, leaves, or clean food scraps over those blended with municipal solid waste or sewage sludge.—
Dr. Avishesh Neupane,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
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The way his Liverpool Scouse accent sludges across the track with a kind of soccer hooligan attitude could convert the most red-blooded NFL fan into a Champions League lifer.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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