1
as in mucky
full of or covered with soft wet earth
please do not walk in the house with muddy boots on, as you will get the carpet dirty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turbid
having visible particles in liquid suspension
whether muddy or not, water taken from lakes and streams should be boiled by campers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dusty
not clean
we were all muddy after playing outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to confuse
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 to blur
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 to dirty
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 muddy
Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Water is a constant threat The men became trapped during an expedition to find gold within the cramped and muddy underground caverns.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026
Much longer than that and the vegetables start to fall apart and muddy the broth, and much shorter than that, and the broth hasn’t reached its full potential.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddy
Adjective
The governing board of Saline Township, a farming community of some 2,200 residents in Washtenaw County, Michigan, meets on the second Wednesday of every month in a white clapboard hall down a muddy, unpaved road.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Water is a constant threat The men became trapped during an expedition to find gold within the cramped and muddy underground caverns.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
Verb
Resist the urge to stir or spread, which will muddy the layers and mess with the texture.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026
Much longer than that and the vegetables start to fall apart and muddy the broth, and much shorter than that, and the broth hasn’t reached its full potential.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddy
Adjective
-
Hence, the dehydrated, mucky phlegm in people with CF.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
-
When Mom spoke, her voice came out thick and mucky.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike regions such as southeast Florida or southern California, New York’s nearshore waters are frequently turbid and moderately rough, limiting the visibility of sharks from the air.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Why does Mitch find the view beautiful, though the water is turbid and he is enveloped in the scent of incense and candles?—
Katie Kitamura,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
If that bottle hiding in the back of your bar cart is dusty and doesn't taste the same, buy a fresh one.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
The shoes also come in a range of standout colorways, including an electric orange-and-blue combo and an off-white-and-dusty-gray pair.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
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And then beyond that, there’s Hackney Wick, which is not to be confused with traditional Hackney, also on the canal, filled with very cool community initiatives.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2026
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Because of their similar flowers, this plant is sometimes confused with bigleaf hydrangea.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
Verb
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And as the lines between online content and traditional television continue to blur, some of the platform’s biggest creators are not waiting around for the industry to get on board.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
30 May 2026
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That person moved to Montclair or Hudson or Bucks County and is on a Zoom call right now, background blurred, wondering why their new hire seems so lost.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Slaten answers his critics The allegations against Slaten aren’t quite as slimy.—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
25 May 2026
-
Instead, a simple rinse-and-scrub routine keeps the bath safe while preventing slimy growth from taking over.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Where the Cycle-Syncing Science Gets Complicated The picture gets murkier from there.—
Allison Palmer
June 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
-
The sperm was banked after Epstein's conviction, which raises murky ethics issues in the fertility industry.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddy. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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