1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
spattered with muck from the pigpen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in junk
that which is of low quality or worth
what's this muck that you've been watching on TV, anyway?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
1
as in muddy
full of or covered with soft wet earth
the ground was very mucky after a night of pouring rain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filthy
not clean
only too happy to remove those old mucky clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of muck
Zach Harper, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Firefighting equipment is far more likely to get stuck or sink in the muck.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
Kelly Bowman, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024
Drillers used mucking poles to vault between platforms because setting a boot in the muck was a risk.
—Hazlitt, 21 Aug. 2024
Nora Colomer, Fox News, 9 Sep. 2024
The novel’s biting satire and mucky spirit have mostly been jettisoned for Facebook-ready female empowerment slogans.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for muck
Noun
The Clippers’ success lately isn’t just stemming from them making games ugly with their defense and slogging through the muck.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Firefighting equipment is far more likely to get stuck or sink in the muck.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
The calming, repetitive nature of grooming, the physical and distracting qualities of mucking stalls and the connection of walking alongside a horse while exercising them - each stride a step towards trust.
—Kelly Bowman, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024
Drillers used mucking poles to vault between platforms because setting a boot in the muck was a risk.
—Hazlitt, 21 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Waterproof dog throw: $34.99 (Amazon) Get ahead of the mess your mucky pup is bound to make while enjoying the favorable fall weather with the addition of a waterproof mat.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 9 Sep. 2024
The novel’s biting satire and mucky spirit have mostly been jettisoned for Facebook-ready female empowerment slogans.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for muck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck
Noun
-
Cat Construction Little Machines 5-Pack $10 $5 at Amazon Remember how kids love digging in the dirt?—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 May 2025
-
Even better: The lugs on the outsole are designed to seamlessly take you from city roads to dirt trails.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Offensively, the Bucks can’t keep playing in mud while the Pacers are playing on a fastbreak runway.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Her whole life of books and photo albums buried in mud.—
Barbara Kingsolver,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The European Space Agency estimates that there are approximately 130 million pieces of space junk from the over 6,800 successful rocket launches that have occurred since 1957.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
Raised in the United Kingdom, Tiller has made a career in two tracks: Studying respiratory medicine and debunking junk science.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
Items seized included a garbage bag that contained a women’s purse, wallet, identification cards for Worser, various cards and a garbage bag that contained a mixture of male and female clothing that were saturated in a red blood-like substance, the warrant affidavit said.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Investigators found a baseball bat, a handsaw, blood, a garbage bag with clothing and another with Wormser’s purse, wallet, identification cards and other cards in the apartment, WVIT reported, citing the warrant.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
With a yellow rubber glove on her right hand, Heintzelman picks up her finished creations and puts them, one by one, back into egg cartons, with the toilet bowl prominently stained in the background.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
If Bonhoeffer’s example is used to justify more far-right Christian violence in America, that would be another tragedy — and a cruel irony that would stain the legacy of a man who gave up everything to confront a tyrant.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The two groups meet on a muddy basketball court, and fight.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
-
She’s worn her pair over muddy trails, through waterfalls, and more.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The new house is now disgustingly filthy and filled with trash and the smell of cat urine.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The common areas of the building have been filthy, too: trash all around the grounds and dirty stairwells.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
For now, the researchers have left the ship in situ, partially covering it with original soil and squeezing wet sponges onto it to preserve moisture.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Russia and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have launched intelligence missions right here on U.S. soil as the CCP has instigated an economic chokehold on South American countries through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and corruption.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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