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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muscle
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
For adults, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
The spacecraft runs on supercold liquid methane and liquid oxygen—a lot of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, too much for the first stage of the rocket to muscle off the ground.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Noun
While generally the flu is more dangerous for older adults and young children, Hamad said that severe complications like myocardias—which happens when the heart muscle is inflamed—can also happen to healthier, younger people.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
For adults, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
The workers check and replace the large plastic bulbs on the long strings of lights and then use pulleys and hoists to hang and sometimes muscle those long strands of faceted lights onto the branches.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
The spacecraft runs on supercold liquid methane and liquid oxygen—a lot of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, too much for the first stage of the rocket to muscle off the ground.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
Noun
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The experience also reinforced Madsen’s belief in the power of social media.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Mophie's power bank has the functionality of a wireless MagSafe connection, with the convenience of a stand.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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What’s your team’s greatest strength this season?—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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And that’s all without mentioning a run defense that flexed its strength against the Green Bay Packers, and a special teams group that is facilitating complementary football and more.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The system adapts to tone and intent without forcing app switching or blank-page starts.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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She and other members of both houses and both parties were evacuated for their safety for several hours as rioters forced their way into the Capitol that day.—
David Staats,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the billionaire has pushed back against guardrails for Grok within the firm, one source with knowledge of the situation at xAI told CNN.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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More than three months after a fire destroyed more than a dozen businesses in a shopping center in Colorado's Nederland community, many residents are still pushing for the debris to be cleaned up.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The item features two beef patties, three slices of cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and a new tangy Big Arch sauce on a poppy and sesame seed bun, according to a news release.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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Aside from beef brisket noodle soup, the restaurant makes its own buns and soup dumplings, rice dishes and appetizers like cucumber salad and chicken wings.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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When the weather turns chilly, plants naturally enter a state of dormancy and draw energy down from their leaves and stems into their roots, which helps plants survive the cold without damage.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
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Rheinmetall’s new technology is key for the energy transition in the field of hydrogen production.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Further complicating matters, Doe was interviewed by Phong Tran, a then-Oakland detective who has since been charged with perjury for allegedly coercing witnesses into falsely incriminating murder defendants.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The lawsuit accused the company of coercing customers into signing agreements that allowed the company to act as the exclusive real estate listing agent for an undisclosed period of time.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 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 13 Jan. 2026.
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