Definition of stick-in-the-mudnext
as in conservative
a person with old-fashioned ideas the committee is dominated by old stick-in-the-muds who have little interest in bringing new ideas to the table

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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 stick-in-the-mud One only has to think about the British fight against Nazism to be reminded that it was made of imperialists, constitutionalists, stick-in-the-mud aristocrats, and the socialists who first helped put Winston Churchill into power and then five years later helped push him out again. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 But opposing him is Stagg, a Scottish, stick-in-the-mud academic (which is saying a lot by most weather men’s personality standards), who insists on making the team’s joint recommendation exclusively using the current observational data available to Allied forces. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026 Bostwick starred as the naive stick-in-the-mud and fiancé of Janice, Brad. Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025 David Corenswet plays, quite literally, a stick-in-the-mud character. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stick-in-the-mud
Noun
  • Some conservatives were outraged online over the project plan, while others urged people to take a more measured approach, noting that the new stations are not about pushing any ideology.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The proponents of those ideas believe that spreading them can shift the boundaries of debate — that nothing else will do so in a media environment where conservatives hold enormous power.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • A day after rookie catcher Daniel Susac was diagnosed with a likely season-ending left knee patellar fracture, the Giants brought back veteran backstop Andrew Knizner on a major-league deal to address the team’s incredibly thin catching depth.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • All four remaining defendants in the case, including NBA veteran Terry Rozier, appeared in court for an update on their case.
    Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There’s no old fogey-ness to Lorne.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
  • For the benefit of us old fogies?
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The University of Bonn in Germany announced last week that numerous fossils and other exhibits have been stolen from its Goldfuß Museum.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This suggests that these reptiles were more widely distributed across the world during the Triassic than the fossil record indicated.
    The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stick-in-the-mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stick-in-the-mud. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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