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
-
The statues, which were carved and placed on the South Pacific's Easter Island between the 12th and 17th centuries, have puzzled travelers since the first European contact was made there in 1722.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
-
As my children both turned toward me, puzzled at my silence, the last three decades unfurled.—
Sofía Pereda,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One of the higher-ups felt my title Stairway to Heaven would be confused with the 1939 movie of the same name.—
Cameron Crowe,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Netflix’s co-CEOs then confused Wall Street by not slamming the door on a possible bid.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Look for products with one or more of those ingredients, and always test first on a small, inconspicuous area to ensure your carpet won’t be damaged or stained.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Napier’s tenure was also stained by one of the biggest snafus of the name, image and likeness era.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Ryan argues that Cooper’s decision to operate the camera himself (with Matthew Libatique serving as DP) leads to some directorial self-indulgence that makes for a frustrating, muddled experience that could’ve used more editorial discipline.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The muddled sound, uncharacteristic for this venue, didn’t help matters.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This isn’t the first time the value of a thrift store find has left the internet baffled.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
And suddenly, Glenn and the Jets headed to halftime without running a play in the nearly 40 seconds at their disposal, a move that baffled both their loyalists in New Jersey and the Broncos’ sideline across the pond.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the lines are becoming increasingly blurred in numerous other controversies that have fomented since Kirk’s death.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Based on legal proceedings and real investigations, The Monster of Florence revisits one of Italy’s darkest chapters through the eyes of those accused over the years—the possible monsters—exposing how hysteria and speculation blurred the line between truth and myth.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Skip any skins that look moldy, blackened, or spoiled.—
Cathy Cassata,
Health,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Day turned to night as thick, acrid clouds blackened the sky.—
Robert Wyss,
The Conversation,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sense of arbitrariness that had previously bewildered and frustrated me was drowned out by excitement and sheer aesthetic pleasure.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddied. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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