1
as in confuses
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 obfuscates
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 blackens
to make dirty
forgot to take off our shoes and accidentally muddied the kitchen floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of muddies
Houser said that because the majority of Americans support removing serious criminals, the White House muddies the waters in an effort to maintain support for mass deportations.
—
Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
Online, some drew parallels between the heartwrenching moment, which muddies up notions of consent, to an earlier scene in the series, where Carol reveals her mother sent her to conversion therapy camp.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
The neighbor who gave you the warning was vague in a way that perhaps suggests discretion, but in reality, only muddies the waters.
—Eric Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026
National Birds should get that — although plans to rest starters including QB Jalen Hurts muddies the assumption.
—Greg Cote
january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
All this dancing around the definition of their relationship muddies what exactly the audience is supposed to be rooting for here, and what’s at stake if the pair doesn’t reconcile.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2025
Even without such a collapse, the influx of synthetic junk muddies the waters for real users.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
But the latest inflation data, where both hiring slowed and prices rose, muddies the picture.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2025
Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
Online, some drew parallels between the heartwrenching moment, which muddies up notions of consent, to an earlier scene in the series, where Carol reveals her mother sent her to conversion therapy camp.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
The neighbor who gave you the warning was vague in a way that perhaps suggests discretion, but in reality, only muddies the waters.
—Eric Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026
National Birds should get that — although plans to rest starters including QB Jalen Hurts muddies the assumption.
—Greg Cote
january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
All this dancing around the definition of their relationship muddies what exactly the audience is supposed to be rooting for here, and what’s at stake if the pair doesn’t reconcile.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2025
Even without such a collapse, the influx of synthetic junk muddies the waters for real users.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
But the latest inflation data, where both hiring slowed and prices rose, muddies the picture.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddies
Verb
-
No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.—
Noosheen Hashemi,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Where the Roma obscured the line between a classic grand tourer and a sports car with supercar tendencies, the Amalfi confuses things further.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Director Antonio Campos shoots this exchange in the shadows, a choice that only obfuscates this pivotal moment further.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
-
Local students tend to know about the province’s nationalistic perspective, due to their high school curriculum, but this deliberately (and understandably) obfuscates the larger Canadian picture to try to foster a firmer attachment to Quebec’s language and culture.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
-
That said, the Recording Academy never goes too long without making a choice that baffles everybody, as when Jon Batiste beat Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift in 2022.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The illuminating skin tint instantly blurs and brightens my complexion and leaves behind a soft-focus glow—almost as if my skin were an IRL filter.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Apple also pointed to a feature the company offers called Communication Safety that warns children and blurs the image when nudity is detected while receiving or attempting to send content and displays a warning.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
This mixture attacks stains a bit stronger than the water solution.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddies. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
