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
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
There is a desperate need to protect first-party data, which becomes muddied when bots, rather than humans, navigate a site.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
San Antonio has three ball handlers capable of running offense in a postseason that begs teams to fight through muddied possessions.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Our photo shoot takes place in his vineyards, and Cucinelli makes the short drive there himself behind the wheel of a muddied silver Rolls-Royce.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The line between law enforcement and partisan vindictiveness can also become muddied.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 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
Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Meanwhile, the secretary of state's office and the State Election Board have further muddied the waters by issuing conflicting guidance for county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted.
—ABC News, 14 June 2026
Meanwhile, the secretary of state’s office and the State Election Board have further muddied the waters by issuing conflicting guidance for county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted.
—Kate Brumback, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
The opposing trades offer a perspective on what could be a make-or-break moment for the precious metal as geopolitics remain unpredictable and the interest-rate outlook gets muddied as well.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 26 May 2026
But talk of Taiwan has been muddied a little by Xi’s determination to modernize the People’s Liberation Army.
—Yan Bennett, The Conversation, 15 May 2026
The entrance of the American streamers into the factual drama space has muddied the waters in terms of defining a show’s success, according to Jeff Pope, who made his first streamer show last year.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Voters say campaigns have muddied the waters on the issue, from contradictory direct mail campaigns to a leading ballot question.
—Jahd Khalil, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
It isn't muddied by anything else or other flavors.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
During a nearly four-hour Friday hearing in Mecklenburg County small claims court, Jackson and Agape’s attorneys parsed through a muddied timeline that involved verbal agreements between Ball, Jackson and either Cam Newton or his father, Cecil Newton.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
There is a desperate need to protect first-party data, which becomes muddied when bots, rather than humans, navigate a site.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
San Antonio has three ball handlers capable of running offense in a postseason that begs teams to fight through muddied possessions.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Our photo shoot takes place in his vineyards, and Cucinelli makes the short drive there himself behind the wheel of a muddied silver Rolls-Royce.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The line between law enforcement and partisan vindictiveness can also become muddied.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 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
The California Chamber of Commerce, a business trade group behind the measure, argues the state’s system of approving certain developments is too slow, too muddied up by regulation and too expensive and that the initiative is the fix needed.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Meanwhile, the secretary of state's office and the State Election Board have further muddied the waters by issuing conflicting guidance for county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted.
—ABC News, 14 June 2026
Meanwhile, the secretary of state’s office and the State Election Board have further muddied the waters by issuing conflicting guidance for county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted.
—Kate Brumback, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
The opposing trades offer a perspective on what could be a make-or-break moment for the precious metal as geopolitics remain unpredictable and the interest-rate outlook gets muddied as well.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 26 May 2026
But talk of Taiwan has been muddied a little by Xi’s determination to modernize the People’s Liberation Army.
—Yan Bennett, The Conversation, 15 May 2026
The entrance of the American streamers into the factual drama space has muddied the waters in terms of defining a show’s success, according to Jeff Pope, who made his first streamer show last year.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Voters say campaigns have muddied the waters on the issue, from contradictory direct mail campaigns to a leading ballot question.
—Jahd Khalil, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
It isn't muddied by anything else or other flavors.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddied
Adjective
-
Bloody, disturbing, shocking, and entertaining as hell, the Ghost Ship opening couldn’t be any more different from the absolute slog that follows it, climaxing on a muddled and overly complicated ending.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
-
So the relationship of high rates for long-term CDs and low rates for short-term CDs remains muddled.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
It's called cognitive empathy, not to be confused with emotional empathy.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
So The Listeners — not to be confused with 2022’s The Listener starring Tessa Thompson and you in a voice role — is just now reaching the States.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The line between fictional and real K-pop blurred further in May this year, when Netflix and AEG Presents announced a global concert tour featuring real-life performers as HUNTR/X.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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The pressure had become relentless, the boundaries increasingly blurred, and the cost to my own wellbeing impossible to ignore.—
Emma Pringle,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Opt for a material that’s white washed or stained for a farmhouse look.—
Rachel Fletcher,
Architectural Digest,
19 June 2026
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Crime scene technicians called in to help execute a search warrant reported observing blood spattered all over Mao’s bedroom, and a machete and two dumbbells stained with blood.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Frail elderly women, swathed in headscarves and saris, worshipped while sitting on puddled pavement near corroded metal changing lockers plastered with ads for Glow & Lovely skin cream.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This length is easier to maintain and avoids the tripping hazards of puddled fabric while still looking polished.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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County officials said they are puzzled by the cost increase in the face of falling ridership for Access Lynx, which provides door-to-door transportation for disabled and low-income riders countywide.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
-
But after feeding the information into a computer model, the team was puzzled.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump and Iran’s lead negotiator signed an agreement on Monday to extend a tenuous ceasefire by 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes for an end to the historic energy shock that has roiled global markets and clouded the growth outlook.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
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Still, the entire regulatory review was clouded by charges of political favoritism and cronyism.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The Iron fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles, authorities said.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
-
The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles (87 square kilometers), authorities said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddied. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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