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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of muck
Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
The Magic are turning these games into the grind and the Celtics are getting stuck in the muck — just like the Cleveland Cavaliers last year when the Magic took them to seven games before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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
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 town of Grand Isle was stuck in the muck of disaster.
—Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
The Magic are turning these games into the grind and the Celtics are getting stuck in the muck — just like the Cleveland Cavaliers last year when the Magic took them to seven games before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
Randle's bully ball and inattentive defense are mucking everything up.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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
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
-
The crowd was filled with men and women whose daily jobs leave them with dirt under their nails and pride in their chests because of their impact on everyone’s lives.—
Salena Zito,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
-
Alcaraz improved to 21-1 on clay this year, winning titles on the dirt in Rome — beating Sinner in the final after the Italian returned from his doping ban — and Monte Carlo.—
Jerome Pugmire,
Baltimore Sun,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Regardless of the tough conditions, the tournament is still going strong through the rain and the mud.—
Troy Finnegan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
-
As messy as things could ever get with Sly Stone or his legacy, the blood would always remain thicker than the mud.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
And there are the old pitfalls of the technology that anyone above a certain age remembers: blurry pages, junk faxes that pile up and faxes getting sent to the wrong number.—
Tamsin Gable,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
In 2018, inspired by this culture of bricolage, curator Danni Friedman and designer Jean Lee gathered a group of designers in Havana for a ten-day workshop, turning them loose in an old shipyard factory filled with clay, concrete mix, scrap metal, and assorted junk.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
With the welcome citywide expansion of organic collection (brown bins) joining with paper (green bins) and metal, glass and plastic (blue bins), the remaining black bag garbage will be made of nonrecyclable items like those same thin plastics that Sims rejects that are used for wrapping or bags.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
-
The teen was found dismembered in garbage bags in a remote area, NBC News previously reported.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Outside, people were returning from the aid hub, mostly empty-handed, while empty flour bags stained with blood lay on the ground.—
Mohammad Jahjouh,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
-
The doors to several apartments on the first floor remained stained with the victims’ bloody handprints Saturday.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
On my last trip to Crans-Montana, Switzerland, having a bag that could be easily cleaned was crucial after hiking, running, and cycling in the muddy woods.—
Michelle Tchea,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2025
-
My feet sink into the muddy ground, wet soaking through my leather boots and sweat pooling under my arms and behind my knees.—
Erica Stern
June 9,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The law specifically spells out heating problems, pest infestations and filthy conditions as among the issues that could require a court’s intervention.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 May 2025
-
Detectives have criminally charged the owner of nearly 50 Belgian Malinois dogs that were found trapped together in a cramped, filthy Queens apartment, police said Wednesday.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
Not just because passenger planes capable of breaking the sound barrier are in development — for the first time ever, they could be allowed to do it over American soil.—
Edward Russell,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
-
These houses had three types: homes with steps along the wall or that form a passageway, homes built into two levels with higher places with scorched soil for cooking areas and lower spaces for living, and flat-bottomed homes used as living spaces.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share