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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Symptoms resemble other types of pneumonia and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026 The clinical version dates to research in the 1960s and 1970s, when devices tracked heart rate variability, muscle tension and skin temperature to help people regulate what was once considered automatic. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026
Verb
Muncy should muscle up for a home run tonight. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 After Josh Hart missed his second free throw, Robinson muscled his way into the paint, beat 7-foot-4 Wembanyama for the ball and got the offensive rebound. — Mark Prussin, CBS News, 18 June 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
  • Whatever ailed this World Cup, the beautiful game was waiting with its healing powers.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 July 2026
  • While there is undeniable star power, and an unerring ability to get the job done, England will have opportunities to make a mark of their own.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • Wall Street looked past geopolitical tensions with benchmark indexes rising on Big Tech strength and signs of easing inflation, even as Middle East hostilities escalated.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles that helps maintain men’s bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, facial and body hair, red blood cell production and sperm production.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of strength
Verb
  • None of that history mattered though when Nick Moon put Boise on the scoreboard in the seventh minute and forced club staff to scramble for a new corner flag.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2026
  • Crew members of a container vessel reported damaged near the Strait of Hormuz were forced to abandon ship, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center said in a separate statement.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 12 July 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • Handing the survivor her jewelry and hearing her story a few days later gave Dondi and her team of volunteers a reassuring nudge to push forward with their work.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Normally, the onshore flow — a west-to-southwest wind that creates the ocean breeze and pushes air away from the coasts — would push the particulate matter with it.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of push
Noun
  • The tariff will apply to a host of Brazilian products, but will exempt certain major exports including coffee, beef, avocados, Brazil nuts, petroleum oils and aircraft parts, according to a notice published by the Office of the USTR.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • The glossy domed bun, truffle aioli and wagyu beef helped elevate the burger above standard pub fare.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 16 July 2026
Definition of beef
Noun
  • Wisconsin has committed up to $55 million in incentives to help Realta Fusion build its new headquarters and fusion research facility in Madison, a move aimed at strengthening the state’s position in the emerging fusion energy industry.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
  • Sixty-eight percent of likely voters told PPIC the cost of energy — both in utility bills and the price of gasoline at the pump — were a big problem.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of energy
Verb
  • Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • What’s not clear is whether the department will eventually use its muscle to coerce builders, suppliers, and property owners into upgrading their sheds and fielding them more sparingly.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 24 June 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • Every new theorem ratchets one wall inward, squeezing the gap a little tighter.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • The brain-squeezing rush of those starts is nearly indescribable.
    — Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 15 July 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 18 Jul. 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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