1
as in athletic
marked by a well-developed musculature
Olympic runners tend to have very muscular legs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strong
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
a muscular superhero who can easily lift a ton or more
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
a presidential speech that promises to be a muscular enunciation of the nation's foreign policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rich
having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor)
a muscular red wine that goes especially well with beef
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 muscular
While scientists don’t yet have definitive proof that improving grip strength itself directly reduces disease risk, evidence strongly suggests that maintaining or building muscular strength through resistance training and physical activity has lots of benefits for metabolic health, says Angermeier.
—
Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Directed by Paul Hunter and Dominique Trenier, the clip simply captured an exceptionally muscular D’Angelo performing the track while wearing nothing but a small gold crucifix necklace.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
In an August 2008 SPIN Magazine interview, then-manager Dominique Trenier explained that D'Angelo's body was in the best shape of his life, but his muscular physique was new at the time of the filming.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Each version of the muscular coupe features a special livery inspired by its predecessor.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscular
Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Directed by Paul Hunter and Dominique Trenier, the clip simply captured an exceptionally muscular D’Angelo performing the track while wearing nothing but a small gold crucifix necklace.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
In an August 2008 SPIN Magazine interview, then-manager Dominique Trenier explained that D'Angelo's body was in the best shape of his life, but his muscular physique was new at the time of the filming.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Each version of the muscular coupe features a special livery inspired by its predecessor.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscular
Adjective
-
State athletic associations have discretion under their states’ laws to determine high school athlete eligibility.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Franklin played a pivotal role in rejuvenating the program’s culture and restoring its national relevance over his 12 seasons, but just before last Sunday’s practice, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft informed him that the school was moving in a different direction.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Politically, the affluence manifested in Long Island establishing itself as a bastion of the Republican Party, showing strong support for Hoover in his doomed Presidential campaign against Roosevelt.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, Chinese stories have increasingly included nods to Chinese nationalist (not just communist) soldiers fighting bravely, thus placing a strong, victorious, and morally righteous China at the forefront of the postwar global order.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Being passive aggressive and giving non-committal responses is clearly not working.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
But even with the aggressive approach, the talent gap was evident.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The thrill of the unexplained is what prompts so many to take ghost tours, which often tell juicy and sometimes goosebump-inducing stories that give historic sites a richer context.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The upper of the shoes is made from a rich suede in a burgundy wine color, which adds texture to the heels and serves as the backdrop for the colorful beaded spikes.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Stardust Racers, the sinewy roller coaster that towers over Epic Universe, shoots bodies through the sky at more than 60 miles an hour and plunges them toward the surface of the Earth from the height of a 10-story building.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Occasionally, Brown, who makes mesmerizing, lovelorn music under the name Nourished by Time, is a serenader reaching for the style of Jodeci or SWV—sinewy, solicitous, but alien underneath the ad-libbing.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
One of two vice-chairmen of the commission, the general is the third-most powerful commander of the People’s Liberation Army and has been considered a close associate of President Xi Jinping, the army’s commander-in-chief.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The saddle is typical of the period and would have been used for both pleasure riding and vigorous pursuits such as fox hunting, Brown said.—
Jennifer Brett,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Separate the parent plant into pieces with three to five vigorous shoots each and a healthy supply of roots.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The writing world is robust and there are many of us out here writing together.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The report also called out parts of Italy and Africa for failing to implement robust anti-abuse measures.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muscular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscular. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share