muscle 1 of 2

noun

ˈmə-səl How to pronounce muscle (audio)
Definition of musclenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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 muscle
Noun
Instead, the one-off Destrier, commissioned through Bugatti’s Programme Solitaire division, showcases a more refined aesthetic throughout, yet without lacking any of its sibling’s muscle—sharing the Bolide’s 1,578 hp, quad-turbo W16 power plant. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026 Children were fitted with multifocal contacts (much like mine) and trained in eye-muscle exercises meant to slow down the progression of nearsightedness. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
Manchester City need no further convincing and are pushing hard to muscle their way to the front of the queue for a player whose valuation is believed to be in the region of €100million (£85m; $114m). — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 July 2026 The streaks abruptly ended when De Ketelaere muscled past Cubarsí and headed home a cross from Timothy Castagne for Belgium’s tying goal. — ABC News, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
  1. power
  2. strength
  3. force
  4. push
  5. beef
  6. energy
  7. coerce
  8. squeeze
Noun
  • Since Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, many aspects of personal life for members of the Communist Party or the state sector, from divorce to travel and social activities, have come under increasing scrutiny.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The genius villain is telepathic and has several powers, including superhuman strength, telekinesis, energy projection, shapeshifting and teleportation.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • Highlighting the strength of the two countries’ ties, Russian state media has shown images of North Korean troops in training inside Russia over the past year, and Kim Jong Un opened a memorial to North Korea’s Ukraine dead in April.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Communities still recovering from last weekend’s hurricane in Hawaii could get pounded again in coming days from another tropical system gaining strength over warm Pacific waters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of strength
Verb
  • Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, was forced to roll out a second artificial surface after the World Cup because its first attempt didn’t pass an independent lab test as required by the NFL and NFLPA.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The champion faced a challenging opponent, as Garry forced him to work hard for seven takedowns and inflicted some facial damage.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • Taken together, current and former officials interviewed say, those positions could narrow the military's recruiting pool while pushing some troops already in uniform to reconsider staying.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Sangare was one of the core players of the Lens side who pushed Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain hard for the French title last season, eventually coming up six points short.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of push
Noun
  • Erin Patterson was convicted last year of deliberately lacing a beef wellington meal with death cap mushrooms to murder her children’s grandparents and the wife of the local pastor.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Guests can expect unique beers from Chicagoland, food specials like Chicago Dogs and Italian beef from the food vendors, Cubs baseball on the big screen and the Andrew Williams Band playing live Chicago-style blues.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of beef
Noun
  • Why people don’t like it Some residents are worried about how these sprawling energy farms will affect local soil, especially near farmland.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • There’s also a kids water park for the more rambunctious members of the family to get their energy out.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of energy
Verb
  • Attorney Jesse Dreicer suggested Tenon made false statements and his confession to the shooting was coerced.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Shuter also pointed out that Pitt was clearly not coerced into talking about his drinking by a pushy magazine writer.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • Questions no longer centre on marking this era with a trophy, but on how much juice is left to squeeze.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • To protect a specific area, such as a garden, Parker recommends properly installing snake fencing made from quarter-inch hardware cloth, which can help keep even newborn copperheads from squeezing through.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze

Browse Nearby Words

murrains
muscle
muscle-bound
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Cite this Entry

“Muscle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscle. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muscle

Nglish: Translation of muscle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muscle

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