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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muscle
Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
This is imperative, as women lose an average of 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade, beginning in their 30s, Berzin says.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 10 Nov. 2025
Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
The spacecraft runs on supercold liquid methane and liquid oxygen—a lot of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, too much for the first stage of the rocket to muscle off the ground.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Noun
If done suboptimally, deep plane facelifts can lead to complications such as muscle or nerve damage, infections, irregular hairlines, asymmetry and necrosis, among others.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
This is imperative, as women lose an average of 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade, beginning in their 30s, Berzin says.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
The workers check and replace the large plastic bulbs on the long strings of lights and then use pulleys and hoists to hang and sometimes muscle those long strands of faceted lights onto the branches.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
The spacecraft runs on supercold liquid methane and liquid oxygen—a lot of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, too much for the first stage of the rocket to muscle off the ground.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
Noun
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How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
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The Maldives’ own India Out campaign—paradoxically led by Yameen after his electoral defeat to the pro-Indian politician Ibrahim Mohamed Solih—gained traction, casting India as a neo-imperial power.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
Noun
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What’s your team’s greatest strength this season?—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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And that’s all without mentioning a run defense that flexed its strength against the Green Bay Packers, and a special teams group that is facilitating complementary football and more.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His rule finally came to an end in 1998 after the Asian financial crisis threw the country into economic turmoil, prompting widespread protests and forcing Suharto to resign – one of the last people power movements to sweep Southeast Asia and replace a Cold War-era autocrat with democracy.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The last of those darts was fired (initially on X) by Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, who is a resistance darling of the moment after forcing through new, Democrat-friendly congressional maps in his state last week.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What Veblen saw as the public exhibition of wealth has become the performance of aspiration, now filmed, edited, and pushed through a recommendation feed.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The two major reasons the food CPI has been higher this year has been rising beef costs and the earlier egg price spikes from the bird flu, Swanson said.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The south-side staple — known for its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef and more — made the announcement on social media.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Testing reveals an average power exceeding 200 kW in optimal steady-state conditions, surpassing the energy requirements for heavy-duty vehicles.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Everything is dark around us, but the collision itself is a source of energy and the flash of it lights us up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Further complicating matters, Doe was interviewed by Phong Tran, a then-Oakland detective who has since been charged with perjury for allegedly coercing witnesses into falsely incriminating murder defendants.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The lawsuit accused the company of coercing customers into signing agreements that allowed the company to act as the exclusive real estate listing agent for an undisclosed period of time.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As an architectural blacksmith, Guillory favored Japanese denim jeans—a balance of craftsmanship and professionalism—for client meetings squeezed between long days welding staircases and chandeliers.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
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But their arrival has coincided with a spike in housing prices, which has squeezed many locals out of the market.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
11 Nov. 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 18 Nov. 2025.
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