1
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
just a bunch of mugs with no respect for anyone, not even themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in face
the front part of the head
she joked about not having to see his ugly mug anymore
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
an involuntary mug at the revolting sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in sucker
chiefly British
one who is easily deceived or cheated
the cardsharp was always on the lookout for a new mug
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in idiot
chiefly British
a stupid person
what kind of mug goes out in the rain without his brolly or a mackintosh?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to grimace
to distort one's face
every time their picture was snapped, both children mugged by sticking out their tongues or scrunching up their faces
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to photograph
to take a photograph of
mugging captured criminals for the police records
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of mug
Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 24 May 2026
Coffee supplies — beans, filters, mugs, sweeteners — should live together in one dedicated station so your morning routine doesn’t turn into a scavenger hunt.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026
Paparazzi outside the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center showed the 43-year-old all made up for a glamorous mug shot that went viral.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Hundreds of people waited to buy mugs and t-shirts.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mug
Noun
There were no chairs or curtains, nothing in the living room on which to place a mug.
—Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 24 May 2026
Coffee supplies — beans, filters, mugs, sweeteners — should live together in one dedicated station so your morning routine doesn’t turn into a scavenger hunt.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026
Paparazzi outside the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center showed the 43-year-old all made up for a glamorous mug shot that went viral.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Hundreds of people waited to buy mugs and t-shirts.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mug
Noun
-
Clark got Nash to sit down inside the Thai restaurant while her partner went to collect the cup and put it in his vehicle.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
Wait, so then why did Benji and the cameras catch him pouring whiskey into his solo cup?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The fact that this racist thug has been handed policing power by Netanyahu says more about the state of Israel’s democracy and political values—and in particular about the prime minister’s values—than many Israelis might like to admit.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Few faces are as iconically Philadelphian as Gritty.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Lyrics by Ahrens and dialogue by McNally about the discrimination and brutality that Black Americans and immigrants face can seem straight out of the current moment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Before the doors opened, youth lion dancers moved through the space in a traditional blessing ceremony, weaving between guests and collecting dollar bills offered through the lions’ mouths as onlookers cheered.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 2026
-
Through narrow, treacherous tunnels, some waterlogged and cold enough for wetsuits, others so tight oxygen was scarce, the men navigated 260 meters (approximately 850 feet), from the chamber they’d been trapped in to the cave’s mouth, a distance equivalent to the height of a 78-story building.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
So just sit and smile, a departure from a career built on scowl.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
This means a scowl is relatively likely to be an expression of anger.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Details such as the relatively few suckers on its arms, its smooth skin, beak features and the coloring around its organs and parts of the mantle indicated a new species, now called Microeledone galapagensis.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
24 May 2026
-
Trimming the suckers, from the first 2 feet above the ground, ensures the plant's energy is focused on the main vines and cucumbers, says Scott.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
In the first quarter, Brunson exited with an apparent leg injury, frequently grimacing and favoring his right knee.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
But the Hollywood adapters couldn’t be blamed for everything that seemed inherently clunky or, by now, dated about the musical’s book, parts of which were bound to leave a contemporary audience grimacing a little between all the grins the score provokes.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
In 1952, Arnold had photographed actress and singer Marlene Dietrich in the recording studio, using her signature natural style — no set, posing or tripod.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
To build the dataset, Cheng used a DSLR camera paired with a high-magnification zoom lens to photograph mosquitoes and generate training data for the computer vision model.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mug. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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