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
Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The marine reptile also had serrated teeth, an extra bony pocket in its skull where neck muscles attached, and heavier jaw muscles, giving it a more forceful bite.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
Its claws were large, and its arms were well-muscled.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Noun
And dietitians are sharing concerns about malnutrition and muscle wasting.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The marine reptile also had serrated teeth, an extra bony pocket in its skull where neck muscles attached, and heavier jaw muscles, giving it a more forceful bite.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Verb
Bowen wasn’t the only Chihuahua who muscled up on Friday.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
Its claws were large, and its arms were well-muscled.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
Noun
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Eco effort The villas are mainly run on solar power (each villa’s roof is slightly sloped to accommodate these solar panels), and the resort is single plastic-free.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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The computing power needs, the competition from Anthropic, the potential for a more business-to-business stream of revenue, the fear that all of the big institutions that own it will want to cash out, makes this one plain fraught.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Noun
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At the same time, a 12-month clinical trial out of Penn State just confirmed that eating prunes daily can help preserve bone strength in postmenopausal women.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
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But strength and resilience aren't just themes in her magazine.—
Mikayla Price,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The Trojans must beat the Aggies to force a winner-take-all game Monday at a time to be determined.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Anyone with livestock has been forced to leave.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The actress started advocating for menopause and mid-life care in 2024 − after her doctor misdiagnosed her symptoms as herpes − and pushed for legislation to fund research and education in women’s health.—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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The visit is a chance for Xi to push for a rebalancing of these ties and to signal the importance of the relationship to Beijing at a moment of global flux.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Noun
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Texas’ deep ties to cattle ranching, beef and agriculture mean comments about meat consumption likely carry more political weight here than in many other states.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Those times when things got heated What’s an NBA season without a little beef?—
Shakeia Taylor,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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If the superfund template survives, the next decade of American energy policy will be written by trial lawyers, attorneys general and a handful of out-of-state philanthropies bankrolling the litigation pipeline.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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The Maoists’ shrinking realm sits atop rich veins of coal, iron, and bauxite – resources essential to India’s modernization and growing energy demands; Modi’s pledge to bring electricity to every household; and his broader ambition to transform India into a developed nation.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The attorney general's office said Soto used false promises and drugs to coerce women into prostitution.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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The thoughtlessness with which this bride coerced you into subsidizing her wedding was stunning.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Freddie Freeman squeezed one inside the left-field foul pole in the first inning, his fourth home run in nine games (after hitting just one in the previous 35 games).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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The bedroom is now its own separate space—one that Konieczny managed to squeeze more custom storage inside—and despite having to move the shower and toilet, the bathroom is much more functional as well.—
Nicolas Milon,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 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 7 Jun. 2026.
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