Definition of musternext

muster

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to call
to bring together in assembly by or as if by command all the supporters that I could muster for the fund-raising campaign

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to contain
to be made up of the corps of regular wine drinkers musters only about 10% of the population

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word muster different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of muster are call, cite, convene, convoke, and summon. While all these words mean "to demand the presence of," muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

How are the words call and summon related as synonyms of muster?

Call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

When would cite be a good substitute for muster?

The meanings of cite and muster largely overlap; however, cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

How do convene and convoke relate to one another, in the sense of muster?

Convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

When might convoke be a better fit than muster?

In some situations, the words convoke and muster are roughly equivalent. However, convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

When is summon a more appropriate choice than muster?

While the synonyms summon and muster are close in meaning, summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

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 muster
Noun
Following an internal cruise industry review, in 2012 international cruise organizations adopted a new policy requiring ships to hold mandatory muster drills before leaving port. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026 The irony is that in not trying to pass muster with more conservative theatergoers (and their fastidious institutional guardians), playwrights have been winning over not just critics but also formerly squeamish artistic directors and perennially nervous Broadway producers. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Verb
The Sox won the American League West by 20 games with a 99-63 record but couldn’t muster much offense against the Orioles. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Some of the Middle Eastern countries still maintain interests that are driving the conflict, while other outside actors don’t seem able to muster the leverage to persuade warring parties to cease hostilities. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for muster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muster
Noun
  • The nearly six-minute film shows how the team combines precision machining, assembly, and repair to accelerate robot development.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • It has since been lifted to a vertical position and moved inside the bay alongside three other Ship upper stages still under assembly.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Now, after the top 25 are picked, conversations can be had about whether the committee wants to re-rank any cluster of teams next to each other.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • North Indiana Avenue Apartments A cluster of apartment buildings that face each other in the 100 block of North Indiana Avenue show the growth of multifamily housing along major corridors in northeast Kansas City in the earlier 1900s.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In 2022, Lula summoned his old populist magnetism, built a coalition large enough to defeat Bolsonaro, and won a third term.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
  • About 20 minutes later, Hall summoned all off-duty swiftwater technicians.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Shauf quit drinking in 2020, and while The Party contains its fair share of drunken regret, alcohol is a more central subject on the afterparty’s other two outtakes.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The medical response has focused largely on treating and containing the disease, with little to no attention to the mental health of those affected.
    — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In Labor of Light (2016), an assemblage of technologies comes together as a kind of altar to the history of video production.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • These are electric cars, which apparently justifies a vaguely techy-sounding alphanumeric assemblage.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But last year, during Black Friday, Hello82 put up the first batch of tickets for the festival, promising K-pop acts and events, sans any artists officially attached or a specific date.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement There are only two of them at home, so a big batch can mean eating the same dinner several nights running.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The team’s last-second win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was organized and operated by the NFL, part of the league’s more standard rotation of all teams playing overseas.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Workers are organizing at manufacturing plants, in newsrooms, in technology, in hospitals, on college campuses, and construction sites.
    — Liz Shuler, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But more are reliant on communication networks like Starlink, which presently comprises a constellation of 11,000 low Earth orbit satellites.
    — Gerard Toal, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • These included Villa Viesca, the former summer home of Salvatore and Wanda Ferragamo, and Dimora Ghirlandaio, a resort in Tuscany, both of which comprised the villas where the American envoy stays during the summit.
    — Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muster. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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