Synonyms of muscle

muscle 1 of 2

noun

ˈmə-səl 

1

as in power

muscular strength

I'm going to need someone with real muscle to help me move all this furniture

Synonyms & Similar Words

• power
• beef
• energy
• brawn
• force
• main
• vigor
• potency
• might
• sinew
• thew
• puissance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weakness
• impotence
• impotency
• debility
• feebleness
• infirmity
• frailty
• debilitation
• faintness
• enfeeblement
• frailness

2

as in strength

the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task

at the time the military lacked the muscle to fight two wars at once

Synonyms & Similar Words

• power
• strength
• energy
• capacity
• vigor
• capability
• force
• horsepower
• potency
• sinew
• firepower
• might
• competence
• competency
• potence
• puissance
• aptitude
• effectiveness
• usefulness
• adequacy
• effectualness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weakness
• impotence
• disability
• impotency
• powerlessness
• inability
• incapacity
• incompetence
• incompetency
• incapability
• inaptitude
• paralysis
• ineffectiveness
• uselessness
• ineffectuality
• inefficacy
• helplessness
• incapableness
• ineffectualness
• inefficaciousness

muscle

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to force

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

he was muscled out of command by his opponents at military headquarters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• force
• coerce
• compel
• obligate
• pressure
• drive
• oblige
• sandbag
• constrain
• press
• blackmail
• blackjack
• intimidate
• bully
• impress
• dragoon
• impel
• cow
• make
• twist one's arm
• menace
• drag
• threaten
• high-pressure
• bulldoze
• browbeat
• terrorize
• shame
• badger
• hector
• hound
• harass

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• let
• permit
• allow
• move
• talk (into)
• induce
• win (over)
• satisfy
• convince
• argue
• persuade
• prevail (on or upon)

2

as in to push

to force one's way

muscling straight through the packed crowd of people waiting to board the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• push
• squeeze
• elbow
• bull
• shoulder
• press
• bore
• shove
• jam
• thrust
• crash
• jostle
• bulldoze
• ram

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of muscle

Noun

Issagholyan built out a 24-session plan to course-correct, involving twice weekly visits in which I would be chiropractically adjusted, my jaw cold-lasered to promote cellular regeneration and my back muscles stimulated by electrodes. — Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

In 2006, the Charger stormed the market as a rubber-burning full-size sedan that gained muscle over the years, culminating in a 797-horsepower variant. — Matt Degen, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Verb

Very thin but leanly muscled; his body grown solid from a lifetime walking the herds up and down the mountains. — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026

No longer confined to gambling dens and brothel districts, yakuza muscled their way into other businesses, some legal, some not. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Editor Peter Sokolowski breaks down a number of body parts with metaphorical uses as verbs, from head to toe.

Transcript:

Many parts of the body can be used as verbs in either a physical or a metaphorical sense. You can head a company, but if things go wrong you'll have to shoulder the blame, or face your investors. A good leader backs their employees, but if you don't toe the line you might get skinned. Did you muscle your way into that job? You might eye someone suspiciously, or wait for the police to finger a suspect. But if you need to get out of town, try thumbing a ride. You can ride with me if you can stomach the thought. I don't always sing along to the radio, but you might see me mouthing the words.