1
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
my mind had been thoroughly muddied by the long hours of exacting work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confused
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
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
And sure, the storylines have become dull and muddied by having too many characters.
—Colleen Kratofil, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Adjective
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
And sure, the storylines have become dull and muddied by having too many characters.
—Colleen Kratofil, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddied
Verb
-
Reports surfaced claiming that WWE was puzzled by such a low grade, followed by rumors that the company pushed to have Hale fired from his position at ESPN.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Wenhardt stared at his pages, puzzled.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lethargic and confused in their play.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Oxygen bleach soaks—Oxygen bleach (not to be confused with chlorine bleach) is a gentle yet powerful whitening agent.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If a toilet seat is stained, go ahead and buy a replacement.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In his third season in Boulder, coach Deion Sanders continues to lament an issue that ruined his first season and stained his second.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Over the course of a few hours in Washington on Tuesday, the increasingly muddled state of public health unfolded.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This is an impossible task – partly due to Trump’s own muddled thinking – but most importantly, because Putin does not want peace.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the rhetoric has baffled Democrats, who see ER payments as effective and noncontroversial and are unwilling to disavow it.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Fans in the surrounding section can be heard in shock, baffled that the man gave away such a coveted possession.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For a president whose foreign policy has often blurred into personal business, the coincidence is too rich to ignore.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
When Swift’s website finally unveiled the project (with its cover art blurred at the time), the color scheme proved to be a blend of glittery orange and mint green.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Trader Joe’s Cajun style blackened chicken breast fettuccine alfredo is also on the list but only affects four states – Texas not included.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Recalled Trader Joe's pasta sold in Arizona The CDC said listeria contaminated products sold at Trader Joe's were the store's Trader Joe’s Cajun style blackened chicken breast fettucine alfredo, contained in a plastic tray.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the mystery clouded his disappearance, however, Newton-John fell in love, marrying businessman John Easterling in 2008.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Tepid population growth already clouded the economic outlook.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddied. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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