1
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
musty old gym socks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
the musty prose of writers who use the same expressions over and over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of musty
Keep an eye out for water stains on ceilings and walls, a musty odor, or signs of past flooding in the basement or crawl space.
—
Dana Bull, CNBC, 9 June 2025
Towels that are left in pile on the floor and aren't dried properly tend to develop musty odors and should be washed immediately.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2025
Benefits Of Lower Humidity There are many good reasons to keep humidity at bay in the basement:
Reduce musty odors and mildew growth.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 May 2025
This high-moisture environment is ideal for mold and mildew, encouraging rampant growth through the affected areas and producing an unpleasant musty smell.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for musty
Dana Bull, CNBC, 9 June 2025
Towels that are left in pile on the floor and aren't dried properly tend to develop musty odors and should be washed immediately.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2025
Benefits Of Lower Humidity There are many good reasons to keep humidity at bay in the basement:
Reduce musty odors and mildew growth.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 May 2025
This high-moisture environment is ideal for mold and mildew, encouraging rampant growth through the affected areas and producing an unpleasant musty smell.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for musty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musty
Adjective
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This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
22 Dec. 2019
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Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.—
Joanna Slater,
Washington Post,
16 Dec. 2019
Adjective
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Ignoring the conventions of academic portraiture, a genre associated with pale men standing in front of burgundy drapes, Sherald liberated America’s first lady from the fusty, cigar-brown rooms of the past.—
Deborah Solomon,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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While Reichardt never pushes for comedy, these fusty parental exchanges are often very funny, as are J.B.’s bad-parenting episodes with the boys.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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When tomatoes are just ripe, Holland advises placing them in the refrigerator for no more than two days to prevent them from getting too soft.—
Logan Holland,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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Use up ripe bananas in this fun twist on a cobbler.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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The toll on crew members goes far beyond simply being tired.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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Cross-promotional deals and product tie-ins have become commonplace in the past two decades, and gotten mainstream recognition for movies like Barbie and Wicked.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Over the past few decades, such affective polarization in the U.S. has become commonplace.—
James L. Gibson,
The Conversation,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
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Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Banned in Europe In addition to being a carcinogen, formaldehyde, a colorless and smelly gas, can cause rashes and can sicken those who breathe it in, according to the FDA.—
Ronnie Cohen,
NPR,
8 May 2025
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Usually, a smelly refrigerator is caused by specific foods inside it and how they're stored.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Musty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musty. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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