1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
spattered with muck from the pigpen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
4
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
there's some solid substance in this book, but the reader has to trudge through a lot of muck to get to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to stain
to make dirty
you can't work in the garden and not expect to muck your clothes
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 muck
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
So when the Clark County fire department began to familiarize itself with the tunnel network to conduct emergency rescue drills at the end of 2024, the question of how to deal with the muck was part of the planning process, according to planning documents reviewed by Fortune.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Chores follow: mucking the chicken coop and turtle cages, raking the backyard, organizing tools in the workshop.
—Chandler Fritz, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muck
Noun
In the muck and gore of the First World War, a dysfunctional group of soldiers is sent into no-man’s land to recover the body of a fallen angel.
—Verb
The Tigers’ offense isn’t going to scare Georgia, but the Auburn defense is allowing 16.4 points per game and could muck this game up.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck
Noun
-
Start by removing the door from the cabinet box and cleaning the surface with hot, soapy water and a soft cloth to remove grease, dirt, and dust.—
-
Grout is very porous and, because of the indent between tiles, grout can easily collect dirt, food particles, and mold, which will discolor the grout over time.—
Noun
-
Then, in February, flooding and mudslides coated his entire street in mud, even trapping an SUV.—
-
Vestibules and Mudrooms With all the mud, coats, and boots tracking in and out of homes in winter, vestibules and mudrooms become coveted rooms for buyers.—
Noun
-
Safety and health worries have long surrounded landfills in many cities and towns in the Philippines, especially ones near poor communities whose residents scavenge for junk and leftover food in the garbage heaps, the AP points out.—
-
His wife’s body was discovered by a man who was working on the property to clear out junk ahead of the property’s sale.—
Noun
-
That’s the whole point of that process of aging and using garbage bags and paint.—
-
Raising the city’s garbage fee was another structural solution that aldermen and the mayor opted to avoid because of similar political difficulties.—
Verb
-
This mixture attacks stains a bit stronger than the water solution.—
-
While new doors can cost anywhere from several hundred to thousands of dollars, staining, painting, and weather stripping can be done for under $150, according to O'Reilly.—
Noun
-
The farmers also pitched in with efforts of their own, including adjusting fertilizer methods, controlling soil erosion and increasing on-site water retention.—
-
Another key area involves developing artificial lunar and Martian soil simulants to test rover traction and propulsion systems.—
Noun
-
The healthy-dose of cheese in this recipe will convert even the most ardent broccoli hater.—
-
Turkey meal includes mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans, broccoli salad; ham meal includes mac and cheese, turnip greens, broccoli salad, hashbrown casserole.—
Noun
-
Crucially, the eggs were fittingly fluffy, none of that rubbery nonsense that plague lesser burrito slingers.—
-
All’s Fair is girlboss nonsense.—
Cite this Entry
“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share