1
as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
my mind had been thoroughly muddied by the long hours of exacting work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blurred
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
that argument is irrelevant and will just muddy the issue we're trying to resolve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stained
to make dirty
forgot to take off our shoes and accidentally muddied the kitchen floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddied
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Her feet are bare, the toenails a little muddied.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Computers, desks, a washer and dryer were among the belongings in the muddied basement that were wrecked in the storm.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025
The same cannot exactly be said for the eight subsequent franchise installments, a motley group of sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy sequels that have muddied the continuity.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
The motives and power plays behind the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert were muddied, buried in backroom and boardroom deals and compromises, allowing CBS to insist that the show’s conclusion was not about Colbert’s anti-Trump views, but financial concerns.
—Jason Bailey, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
The Rehabilitation Act, however, prohibits the blanket banning of any specific accommodation, such as a unilateral decision about telework across the board, and additional case law and acts, such as The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, have muddied the legal waters.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Whitmer has not muddied her hands all that much in the course of the budget talks.
—Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
His presence has been a constant as Greenlaw’s prolonged rehab from a quad injury has muddied Denver’s depth plans at inside linebacker.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
Crossbreeding in captivity had muddied the waters.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Industrial is the biggest laggard, thanks to supply chain uncertainty also muddied by potential and real tariffs.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
But the inaccuracy and muddied decision-making were evident throughout training camp.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Her feet are bare, the toenails a little muddied.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Computers, desks, a washer and dryer were among the belongings in the muddied basement that were wrecked in the storm.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
However, the return of Rashee Rice has muddied Thornton's role to the point where he has only been targeted three times over the last four games.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025
The same cannot exactly be said for the eight subsequent franchise installments, a motley group of sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy sequels that have muddied the continuity.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
The motives and power plays behind the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert were muddied, buried in backroom and boardroom deals and compromises, allowing CBS to insist that the show’s conclusion was not about Colbert’s anti-Trump views, but financial concerns.
—Jason Bailey, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
The Rehabilitation Act, however, prohibits the blanket banning of any specific accommodation, such as a unilateral decision about telework across the board, and additional case law and acts, such as The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, have muddied the legal waters.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Whitmer has not muddied her hands all that much in the course of the budget talks.
—Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
His presence has been a constant as Greenlaw’s prolonged rehab from a quad injury has muddied Denver’s depth plans at inside linebacker.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
Crossbreeding in captivity had muddied the waters.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Industrial is the biggest laggard, thanks to supply chain uncertainty also muddied by potential and real tariffs.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddied
Adjective
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The second episode is heavy on introductions and reveals without a clear anchor, and that makes for a muddled hour, despite some real bright spots.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
3 Nov. 2025
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But in 2022, Maserati reminded us that there’s another Italian car company, with a rich 108-year history and a respected name, but one that has been tarnished by missteps and muddled strategies in recent years.—
Lawrence Ulrich,
Robb Report,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Farmers’ Almanac will be gone for good after its final 2026 edition, not to be confused with The Old Farmer's Almanac, a separate publication.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Blue Origin also launches New Shepard from Texas The New Glenn spacecraft is not to be confused with Blue Origin's much smaller New Shepard rocket that the company launches from West Texas on brief trips taking paying passengers high above Earth's atmosphere.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jeff Hanisch / Imagn Images Rain Saturday evening at Camp Randall Stadium blurred the cardinal lights and the faces that had grown familiar with disappointment.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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From there, his sound became one of the most sought-after in the industry, shaping hits that blurred the lines between grit and groove.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Worn Plastic Containers Are your plastic containers stained, smelly, cracked, half-melted, or turning rough like sandpaper?—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The costume, which has made waves online, features Fox in a pink suit stained with fake blood, meant to resemble the former first lady shortly after the assassination of her husband.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Her mysterious symptoms puzzled doctors, at least one of whom suggested the pain was psychosomatic.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Some younger viewers may have been initially puzzled by the mashup, but fans of a certain age, or of a certain show-tune leaning, got it from the very first bar, or might have even dared to anticipate it when Erivo and Grande sat down on stools, side by side.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Their days are clouded by a feeling of hopelessness in their financial stability and the job market, combined with their basic need to survive amidst rising rent and grocery costs.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
11 Nov. 2025
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Many of the Louvre’s purchases are clouded in a certain secrecy, particularly regarding the purchase price.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The footage from drone cameras shows a large area of industrial Louisville charred and blackened from smoke and fire damage.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Skip any skins that look moldy, blackened, or spoiled.—
Cathy Cassata,
Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Velardo’s whereabouts were murky when he was charged in the two investigations in March, 2013.—
Karen Wang,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But when the two leading figures behind the coup – RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in charge of the SAF – began fighting each other, the foreign powers had to choose whom to support – and their involvement became even murkier.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddied. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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