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

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
Their failure to receive one may be attributed to their having vague symptoms, such as a general feeling of malaise, weakness, or fluctuating muscle pain. — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026 This is a gradual loss of muscle mass that actually begins around age 30. — Sarah Klein, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
Which muscles the farmer’s walk targets The move works nearly the entire body, but leg muscles, the core and shoulder muscles carry most of the load. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 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 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
  • But The Debut grows to become something altogether wilder, a fire-breathing encomium to the reality-altering power of acting.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Singapore is leveraging its scarce land, energy, and population to bolster its regulatory and agenda-setting power over data centers and sustainability.
    — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • Trump claimed the payments would be possible because of the economy's strength, yet consumer sentiment is weak as gasoline prices are increasing because of the war with Iran and wages are struggling to keep pace with inflation.
    — BILL BARROW, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Cunha’s strength has been in replicating some of the things that helped Murillo build his reputation in England.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of strength
Verb
  • Bournemouth were profligate, despite scoring through Marcus Tavernier and forcing a Malick Thiaw own goal, with multiple first-half chances wasted.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But the truth of it is that Sharaa forced his hand by seizing swathes of the SDF’s territory in a lightning offensive in January.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • There was skepticism about Vizzina, who threw only 105 passes in his first three years at Clemson and then was pushed by true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting role in preseason camp.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The August rally pushed sugar futures ahead of the S&P 500 on a year-to-date basis.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of push
Noun
  • Then there’s the Taiwanese-ish beef noodle soup, dumplings, truffle French fries, and a few other offerings that can only be described as Angeleno creations.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Under his plan, unveiled Thursday, the company will double its retail footprint over the next two years, part of an ambitious effort to displace the grocery store as people’s first choice for beef.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of beef
Noun
  • Researchers in the United States are shaping the nanoscience frontier, using atomic‑scale control to accelerate advances in electronics, energy storage, catalysis, sensing and medicine.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Oil prices edged higher Thursday as worries over escalating tensions in the Middle East and their impact on energy supplies kept Brent crude above $100 a barrel.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of energy
Verb
  • His brother Tristan was an accessory, the unit said, using physical aggression to coerce the victim.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Starting in January, Cohen began making his claims about being coerced into working with the prosecution in the New York case.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • As more homes come onto the market and mortgage rates remain elevated, sellers are increasingly adjusting prices to attract buyers who have been squeezed by affordability challenges.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The surge has raised concerns that higher gasoline prices could squeeze household budgets and weigh on consumer spending.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muscle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muscle

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