MUSCLES Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

muscles

verb

present tense third-person singular of muscle

as in forces

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

as in pushes

to force one's way muscling straight through the packed crowd of people waiting to board the ship

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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 muscles One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026 Gringo Films does not sound like the kind of company that muscles its way into the global animation business. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscles

Verb

Will’s obsessive, put-upon mother, Susan (Tandi Wright), belittles Alice, dresses her down for her attire at the funeral, and forces her to wear heels that don’t fit, leaving her feet bloody.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026
This system forces new buyers to shoulder a much higher tax rate, which effectively locks young and minority families out of the housing market.

— Dale V.C. Holness, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

Despite the unlikely duo closing in, the crime ring pushes past their limits, putting everything on the line for their beliefs — and their most ambitious heist yet.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 10 July 2026
This pushes brands to adopt medical terminology and focus on biological aging mechanisms, as seen with LYMA's new skincare system, developed with scientists and boasting clinical improvements like 71% hydration.

— Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

Further, since a charging order compels an LLC to re-direct distribution payments to the creditor, the appeals court further mused that such was enough to create standing since the LLCs needed to know who to pay.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
When systemic failures persist, lawsuits are the catalyst that compels meaningful reform and protects children who cannot protect themselves.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

In the run-up to the summit, Erdogan described Turkey as a reliable ally that consistently shoulders responsibility on NATO’s southeastern flank and will continue to play a leading role in the alliance.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Pulisic, who shoulders the heaviest load for the USMNT, split two defenders and poked a pass to Weston McKennie, who seemed to be trying to send a cross across the goal.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

Definition of shoulders

Verb

However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of coerces

Verb

As a result, food inflation squeezes the amount of money people have left over to buy things like Levi's jeans and plane tickets, which brings us to our next earnings preview.

— Zev Fima,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 5 July 2026
One of our favorite budget models on the market right now is HP's OmniBook X Flip, which squeezes every bit of performance out of its components to deliver capable everyday productivity performance in a good-looking package.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026

Definition of squeezes

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muscled

muscles

muscling

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“Muscles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscles. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of muscles

verb

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