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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dusty
not clean
we were all muddy after playing outside
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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
Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
In tandem came the flagging energy, muddy cognition, clogged chi.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
The politicization of such matters has only served to muddy the waters, as those affected by controversy argue that political foes have often abandoned nuance in favor of weaponizing scandals to further a partisan agenda.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddy
Adjective
Ten years ago, while using GPS and weather-monitoring equipment, researchers developed a theory that a combination of ice, sunlight, rain, and high winds creates a scenario where the stones could feasibly be pushed across the firm but muddy surface of the former lake.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
In tandem came the flagging energy, muddy cognition, clogged chi.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Ever since the days before flatscreens, televisions have shipped with underpowered speakers that muddy every sound from dialogue to sound effects.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
The politicization of such matters has only served to muddy the waters, as those affected by controversy argue that political foes have often abandoned nuance in favor of weaponizing scandals to further a partisan agenda.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddy
Adjective
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But The Abandons’s read on womanhood is like that dismembered mayor — bloody, mucky, and missing essential pieces.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
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There are also mucky paw prints across the white wall.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
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People pour in from the dense warrens of India’s financial capital and from dusty villages thousands of kilometers away, all flowing towards the fortified, sea-facing Mumbai home of actor Shah Rukh Khan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Workers are startled when a jar tumbles out of a dusty box and rolls onto the ground.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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About Modern Work Spaces Hackl says that efficient workflows are still the primary goal, but the concept has changed in a way that blurs the lines of the classic three-sided shape.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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Their guests are capitalizing on the clout economy, where the line between influencer and entrepreneur is blurred and attention is the most valuable asset.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
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Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Discard if the cucumber slices become slimy or the water develops an off smell.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
30 Dec. 2025
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In autumn, their leaves get all slimy underfoot.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Velardo’s whereabouts were murky when he was charged in the two investigations in March, 2013.—
Karen Wang,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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But when the two leading figures behind the coup – RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in charge of the SAF – began fighting each other, the foreign powers had to choose whom to support – and their involvement became even murkier.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddy. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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