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
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
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
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
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
-
From Scepticism to Confidence In my discussions, executives often admit being puzzled about how to approach AI.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The move has puzzled many since ending the program would bar every company, including oil firms, from accessing federal subsidies for capturing carbon or producing hydrogen fuel.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
It should not be confused with Article 5, the cornerstone of the alliance, which states an armed attack on one NATO ally will be considered an act of violence against all members and prompt assistance to the member concerned.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Inside the retro-futuristic Discoveryland area of Disneyland Paris, a full-size Star Wars X-Wing fighter sits on a silver and blue platform which looks like it has been weathered and stained from battles.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Doing some research on other things my car needs (truly the theme for this week) and decide a seat cover would be good, since it’s been stained a bit with annoying food spills.—
R29 Team,
Refinery29,
10 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
-
Advertisement Advertisement But days after the shooting, authorities have yet to discover a coherent motive for the killing of Kirk—the founder of Turning Point USA and a popular figure on the American right—and experts on extremism are similarly baffled by the possible motivations.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The result is a set of policies that has baffled some China experts, or at least raised questions about the president’s stance on America’s friendly rival.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since opening in 1991, the café has blurred the lines between restaurant, nightclub, and theater.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
For two days, climbers and onlookers gathered around a 45-foot wall—an ephemeral monument suspended above water—where the edges between sport, spectacle, and cultural communion blurred.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The name comes from how their interior walls were blackened from burning peat.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
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Currently, according to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Over the years, his legacy has been clouded by reports of difficult behavior, as well as the author’s own history of antisemitic remarks, which his family publicly apologized for in 2020.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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The outlook for global innovation is clouded by declining investment, according to the survey.—
Reuters 14 hr ago,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddied. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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