mud

noun

ˈməd How to pronounce mud (audio)
Definition of mudnext
as in sludge
soft wet earth we cannot play softball today because the field turned to mud after last night's heavy rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 mud The animal had been just leaving the wallow with a fresh coat of mud on when my buddy had spotted him. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026 Park and his colleagues went looking for the records of that catastrophe in the mud taken from the bottom of a small crater lake on the Kenya-Tanzania border. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2026 The president also frequently recounts that women — including journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials — used to complain to him about their high heels getting stuck in the mud in the old, grassy Rose Garden. — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 The president also frequently recounts that hordes of women, including journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials, used to complain to him about their high heels getting stuck in the mud in the old, grassy Rose Garden. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mud
  1. sludge
  2. muck
  3. gravel
  4. sand
Noun
  • The ball rolled to the sticky floor, littered with crushed six-pack carriers and a fine layer of winter sludge, and two competitors dove to fetch it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than paying millions to haul away toxic sludge, facilities could soon scrub their rinse water for immediate reuse to harvest high-purity copper directly off their treatment equipment.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sludge
Noun
  • Mops of ghostly streamers, some of them longer than my arm, were waving like tentacles atop layers of black muck.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Even when House of the Dragon is at its best, the prophecy skitters in to make a muck of things.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • According to a Universal website launched to address community concerns over the coaster, the park is already utilizing pea gravel to minimize ride vehicle sound, a more than 900-foot-long sound wall and two half-pipe shields to block sound.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Ensure the ground has impact-absorbing cushioning (rubber, pea gravel, mulch).
    — Oc Register, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of gravel
Noun
  • Look for oval depressions in sunny patches of sand where grouse took dust baths.
    — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Most are no larger than a particle of dust, or grain of sand.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sand

Browse Nearby Words

mucky
mud
muddied
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mud. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mud

Nglish: Translation of mud for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mud

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