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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Jenna Anderson, Health, 17 Apr. 2026
Nate rushed her to the hospital, where doctors ran countless tests and determined that Tera had autoimmune myopathy, a condition in which the immune system attacks muscles, causing inflammation, weakness and fatigue.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Seeded first in this NCAA regional and ranked second overall nationally behind 37-0 Connecticut, UCLA muscled past Minnesota 80-56 to start the festivities as Sacramento hosted a women’s tournament for the first time since 2010.
—Joe Davidson
march 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Noun
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that primarily supplies energy to your muscles.
—Jenna Anderson, Health, 17 Apr. 2026
Nate rushed her to the hospital, where doctors ran countless tests and determined that Tera had autoimmune myopathy, a condition in which the immune system attacks muscles, causing inflammation, weakness and fatigue.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
Boozer caught up to Ball at the rim, but the guard muscled his way toward the bucket anyway, kissing the ball of the glass to score and draw an and one.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Seeded first in this NCAA regional and ranked second overall nationally behind 37-0 Connecticut, UCLA muscled past Minnesota 80-56 to start the festivities as Sacramento hosted a women’s tournament for the first time since 2010.
—Joe Davidson
march 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
Noun
-
Nineteen even-strength saves, five power-play saves, no muss, no fuss.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Ramoley generates tremendous power from the right side of the plate, as demonstrated by his three-run homer.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As his hands grow steady again, Levell hopes others living with Parkinson's find strength in their own journey.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Among a raft of reforms Warsh has previously indicated he’d like to see at the central bank—advancing a bullish outlook on the productivity benefits of AI, the strength of which could provide the basis for an argument to begin a rate-cutting cycle.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, declining loan valuations — markdowns in the value of loans extended by private credit funds — are signaling stress at the company level, forcing private equity managers to mark down asset values and accept lower returns, said Hooke.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Freya Godfrey Was forced to withdraw from the latest squad due to injury, and is uncapped at senior level.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sandbags have been replaced in key areas, and crews are now pushing to get the hydroelectric powerhouse back online to help redirect water and relieve pressure on the dam.—
Terrance Friday,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In Asia, the Iran war is pushing South Korea to increase nuclear power generation, while Taiwan is debating restarting mothballed reactors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From there, the beef between the two couples runs the gamut from faux-gentile to downright nasty.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Though the titular beef is among coworkers at a Southern California country club, rather than strangers who take a road-rage incident too far, resulting in a much more passive-aggressive style of confrontation and rivalries that feel a bit more reasonable, at least at the start.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lush, vibrant and full of life, California Tropicals instantly brightens any space while adding fresh, feel-good energy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Steady fixes protect energy for deeper pursuits.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s a gentle way of saying that those institutions must be prepared, at times, to coerce.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
My old company, Whitewater Films, hired me to write a sports comedy — Puckheads — about an aging minor league hockey enforcer who gets coerced into playing for a cartel in Mexico City.—
Nick Morton,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Focusing on everyday shapewear, Yummie hugs instead of squeezes like traditional shapewear that can be extremely tight and constrictive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
All movies need a 45-day exclusive theatrical window, because small and mid-budget movies that hit streaming sooner are getting squeezed.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2026
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes
Cite this Entry
“Muscle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscle. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
