1
as in baffling
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 confusing
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 staining
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 muddying
But now some of the world’s most prominent hotel brands are muddying the waters.
—
Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Just with way worse WRs and a changing defensive landscape designed at taking away explosives and muddying the waters for offenses.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
Be careful of drugs and alcohol muddying the water.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 14 Sep. 2025
Further muddying the waters, Californians will likely have to parse dueling recommendations on vaccine use.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025
Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Just with way worse WRs and a changing defensive landscape designed at taking away explosives and muddying the waters for offenses.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
Be careful of drugs and alcohol muddying the water.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 14 Sep. 2025
Further muddying the waters, Californians will likely have to parse dueling recommendations on vaccine use.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddying
Verb
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But the immediacy around these conversations about the Titans are baffling to me.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The next morning, despite an extensive search of the ship, she could not be found, baffling the family, passengers and crew — and sparking an FBI investigation that is still currently open.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This brings the total to more than $2 million raised to influence the outcome of Referendum 310, funding a wave of misleading ads aimed at confusing voters.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
15 Oct. 2025
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The British and American versions also have different plot points, further confusing the matter, but the score has endured and developed a cult-following.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The durable finish resists staining, dulling, chipping and cracking, while delivering even heat retention from stove to oven.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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Sealing your grout is a great way to prevent further staining and using a steam cleaner can help to lift the stains.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The mystery is less about who’s involved in the game afoot, as alert audiences piecing together context clues will be immediately aware of those nefarious parties upon their introductions, and is more about the puzzling lengths the filmmakers go to in planting contrived red herrings.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
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This was particularly puzzling given that the program had highlighted other former players who had standout performances that same day, but the reason why quickly emerged.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some data types can be encrypted randomly, obfuscating enough of the data to stymie hackers—such as using only the last four digits of your credit to confirm your purchase identity.—
Srinivas Shekar,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Its ginormous investments in higher-value, tech-heavy sectors from smartphones to autos to semiconductors to biotechnology are disrupting the global landscape at bewildering speed.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The technology’s potential is already altering military planning, blurring lines between intelligence, cyber operations, and traditional anti-submarine warfare.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
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The creative community is tied in knots by the advent of Sora 2 and the boundary-blurring innovations that will surely follow.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
River Selby
August 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddying. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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