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
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
He’s since added 20 pounds of muscle to become a 6-foot-4, 250-pound wrecking ball while continuing to build his pass-rushing repertoire and confidence.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 July 2025
In both vehicles he was played by George Reeves, polite, bland and not noticeably muscled.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Noun
The short foot exercise targets the arch-supporting muscles through conscious toe activation.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
He’s since added 20 pounds of muscle to become a 6-foot-4, 250-pound wrecking ball while continuing to build his pass-rushing repertoire and confidence.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
The effort to claw back a sliver of federal spending comes after Republicans also muscled Trump’s big tax and spending cut bill to approval without any Democratic support.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 July 2025
In both vehicles he was played by George Reeves, polite, bland and not noticeably muscled.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
Noun
-
Such programming has been a major hit for Netflix since debuting WWE Raw in January, and Disney is clearly hoping for something of the same regular tune-in power for its sports app.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
It de-risks adoption, preserves momentum, and unlocks the distinctly human strengths AI can’t replicate.—
Maria Ross,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Erin is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season and could reach Category 4 strength over unusually warm ocean waters.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Obama did much of this without Republicans forcing his hand.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
-
India insists its military prowess forced Pakistan into that ceasefire.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Whoever learns fastest wins, and the game is now all about pushing the limits of how fast organization can learn.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Trump is pushing red states to make changes now to give Republicans a boost in the mid-term elections, which tend to favor the party outside of the White House.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Spoon 1/4 of the ground beef evenly across the top of the sheets, followed by shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, diced pickles and onions.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
7 Aug. 2025
-
From comfort food like beef stroganoff to healthy lunches like salmon and veggies, there are options for every busy family.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
China unveiled a new national energy law at the beginning of 2025 to coordinate its many energy-centric efforts.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
As red-hot Mars enters Libra on Aug. 6, the energy shifts toward balance and harmony, bringing the focus to partnership and cooperation.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The lawsuit alleges the grant conditions coerce local governments into adopting the Trump administration's policy agenda.—
Alison Dirr,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
But, as archaeologist Sean Winter writes, also like in the US, the reality involves a lot of people coerced into laboring for the benefit of the most powerful.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Ewers was impressive finding A.J. Henning on one throw and squeezed a pass into a tight window to running back Ollie Gordon II.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
-
To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share