muscle-bound

adjective

Definition of muscle-boundnext
as in muscular

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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-bound But their skeletons seemed peculiar—stocky and muscle-bound, with mashups of features seen in various groups of modern-day mammals. — Steve Brusatte, Scientific American, 1 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle-bound
  1. muscular
  2. athletic
  3. powerful
  4. sinewy
  5. burly
  6. mighty
  7. strapping
  8. beefy
Adjective
  • While several countries have tried opt-out systems, France is hoping more muscular obligatory opt-in rules will be more effective.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some babies that used to die from one genetic disease - spinal muscular atrophy - before their 2nd birthday now are living normal lives.
    — Brad Quick, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of muscular
Adjective
  • Shelton cruised from there, mixing his primary weapons in with athletic defense that garnered big reactions from the Montreal crowd and deflated Nakashima even more.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Furthermore, extreme pay disparities exist, from low-wage support staff to multi-million dollar executive and athletic salaries, often tracking scale over prestige.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of athletic
Adjective
  • The two progressive, politically powerful unions helped carry Mayor Brandon Johnson into office.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Gratitude is the most powerful and enduring sentiment of all — not because everything’s fine.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026
  • The White man, his sinewy, tattooed arms already beet-red from the sun, shouldered the cross from the center beam.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of sinewy
Adjective
  • Fauci asked as a burly officer marched the man through the main door of the building and toward a police van, his hands zip-tied behind him.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Madden was the burly, garrulous head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, leading the team to many championship games and its first Super Bowl victory.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of burly
Adjective
  • As for these spices’ association with the mighty pumpkin, several cookbooks from the 17th and 18th centuries feature pumpkin pie recipes that call for such flavorings.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But a recent report on used‑car data from iSeeCars suggests that even the mighty 911 may not be immune to a cooling market.
    — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of mighty
Adjective
  • Ser Duncan the Tall, is a strapping but awkward young man with little confidence and few skills.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Henney is best known for playing the strapping and heroic Special Agent Matt Simmons on Criminal Minds.
    — Hoda Mallone, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of strapping
Adjective
  • Despite their physical size and heft, the beefy BFGs ride beautifully.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The family hides from the beast, which looks like a mix between a Cthulhu, an octopus and a big, beefy guy.
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of beefy

Browse Nearby Words

muscle
muscle-bound
muscle car
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muscle-bound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscle-bound. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All