muck 1 of 2

noun

ˈmək How to pronounce muck (audio)
Definition of mucknext
1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something spattered with muck from the pigpen

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2
as in mud
soft wet earth her shoes were covered with muck by the end of the soccer game

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3
as in junk
that which is of low quality or worth what's this muck that you've been watching on TV, anyway?

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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

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muck

2 of 2

verb

as in to stain
to make dirty you can't work in the garden and not expect to muck your clothes

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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 muck
Noun
Mops of ghostly streamers, some of them longer than my arm, were waving like tentacles atop layers of black muck. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 Even when House of the Dragon is at its best, the prophecy skitters in to make a muck of things. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
Law enforcement has a tough enough job already, without politicians mucking it up. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 6 May 2026 Jonas Valanciunas rejoined the action at backup center, mucking things up. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for muck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck
  1. dirt
  2. mud
  3. junk
  4. garbage
  5. stain
  6. soil
  7. cheese
  8. nonsense
Noun
  • There was like ten minutes of just chaos, with kids throwing dirt everywhere and getting excited to get little seeds put in their hands, and then being able to bring their plant home, and take care of it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The ball fell to the dirt, allowing Harris to score and Albies to get to third for his first career postseason triple.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dirt
Noun
  • The Diocletian Ritual, comprising a salt scrub, cleansing mud wrap, and massage, is both invigorating and restorative.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The 1983 movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, portrays the fight as gritty and grounded, taking place during a rainstorm where mud flies as fast as fists.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of mud
Noun
  • Based on statistical models, the agency estimates there are millions more smaller pieces of space junk circling Earth’s orbit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This feature is a step down from the Optimizer seen in past years, which also managed free memory, background apps, and other categories of junk files.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of junk
Noun
  • If the brain’s plumbing doesn’t work properly, research shows, cellular garbage accumulates, and a cleaner brain may be a healthier one.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After the ad went viral on social media, Republican candidate for state school superintendent Sonja Shaw called it creepy, weird garbage.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage
Verb
  • Bookshelves are crammed with novels and almanacs, the wood boards of the ceilings stained dark in delicious contrast to the clean white walls and creamy linen furnishings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The yellow color from the fenbendazole stained his white goatee.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • The footpad cannot extract energy from chemically inert surfaces such as plastic, glass, soil, or organic tissue, prompting the team to add a small onboard supercapacitor to buffer power across dead zones.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • As regenerative claims become increasingly common, the sector needs to move beyond broad narratives and focus on measurable outcomes, from soil health and biodiversity to water use, emissions, yields and profitability.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • Food and drink Breakfast includes local yogurts and cheeses, cakes still warm from the oven, fresh fruit, and trays of sticky honeycomb—plus velvety cappuccinos and rocket fuel espressos.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Pumpkin Black Bean Enchiladas A quick trip under the broiler is enough to melt and brown the cheese on top of these weeknight-friendly enchiladas—no lengthy bake required.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheese
Noun
  • Same goes for Chock Chapple (6), because life’s too short to be typing that nonsense in a search field.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • What Trump is serving up is precisely the kind of paternalistic nonsense that women have fought against for the past century, now applied to nation states.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of nonsense

Phrases Containing muck

Browse Nearby Words

mucilages
muck
muck (about or around)
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Cite this Entry

“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muck

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muck

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