muddle along

phrasal verb

muddled along; muddling along; muddles along
informal
: to think, act, or proceed in a confused way or without a plan
She muddled along for a few years before going to college.

Examples of muddle along in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But Islanders fans also felt some relief late Thursday night: After three-plus seasons of muddling along, taking an equal number of steps forward as backward, the Islanders embraced change. Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025 But the movie and its maker are also curious about the effect of the show itself, how its quest for justice may have become muddled along the way, and what its popularity might say about us. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muddle along.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muddle%20along. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!