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
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
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 muddy
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Agents trekked through muddy terrain in the dark and eventually found Medina curled up in a ball next to a tree.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddy
Adjective
Also, prepare to navigate 27 miles of bumpy, at times muddy dirt roads to the trailhead.
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Agents trekked through muddy terrain in the dark and eventually found Medina curled up in a ball next to a tree.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddy
Adjective
-
But The Abandons’s read on womanhood is like that dismembered mayor — bloody, mucky, and missing essential pieces.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
-
There are also mucky paw prints across the white wall.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
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
-
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
-
Cape Canaveral is no dusty history tour.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
No amount of inner toughness would have convinced a customer to bring in a dusty rug in May 2020.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As if that wasn’t confusing enough, not all Christians agree on what day of the calendar that specific Sunday is.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
-
This was not to be confused with the Ulster Volunteer Force or the Ulster Defence Association, both terrorist organizations that vehemently favored the link with Britain.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nowadays, the two positions blur together, but his father, Troy, and Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo insisted his aspirations were to be on the ball.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Winter clouds and sleet blurred everything together, but as my eyes adjusted, what seemed dull grew more distinctive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The ice machine had a heavy presence of slimy debris.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In an era where college sports has become increasingly slimy, Dawkins has maintained a program built on continuity and trust.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
How Georgians will vote in the midterms this year is still murky.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Now, two weeks since the first storm hit, the ocean water is still murky due to runoff that carries harmful pathogens and chemicals from sewage systems, animal feces and industrial facilities.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddy. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
