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
At the same time, the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which oversees a multibillion-dollar effort to stem the loss of coastal land, is drafting a plan to dredge muck from the bottom of the two main river channels where the delta is receding the most. — Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 9 Jan. 2025 Last year, without the county’s knowledge, a Boring contractor relied on a permit held by a county contractor to store muck near apartment buildings and the Commercial Center shopping plaza, along one of the busiest thoroughfares in central Las Vegas, a county spokesperson said. — Daniel Rothberg, ProPublica, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
Despite missing both of their top scorers — Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — due to oblique injuries, the Magic mucked the game up early and often. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024 Mannie then interjected that social media has a habit of mucking things up. — Angel Diaz, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2024 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
  • The lingering fumes of attention and magical aura somehow still surround the oddball Rodgers like the cloud of dirt around Pig-Pen in the Peanuts comic strip.
    — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Megan’s body was found on a narrow dirt path on March 15, 2003, in Wallkill, New York.
    — Veronica Fulton, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of dirt
Noun
  • It was filled with -- my ball was covered with mud.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The machinery has previously saved elephants from mud pits, rescued dogs from rivers and even removed camels out of muddy swamps.
    — Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of mud
Noun
  • When the children got older [my eldest is now 38], trying to find convenient snacks that weren't full of all kinds of junk was challenging.
    — Carly Mallenbaum, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
  • For a piece in this week’s issue, Helfand speaks with all parties involved, and even visits Elvis in his current resting place, amid dusty knickknacks and towering piles of junk in an office behind a mechanic’s garage.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of junk
Noun
  • Lira, remembering the garbage, quickly takes out the trash.
    — Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Leave the garbage can open and place it in the sun to fully dry before closing it or putting a garbage bag in it.
    — Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of garbage
Verb
  • Although no-makeup may seem ideal in a Parisian train station, which was the inspiration behind the look, poetic taupes shape tired eyes and lips stained with last night’s lipstick speak to weary, bouffant-haired travellers instead.
    — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
  • There are showstoppers, like the Zaveri house (also known as the House with 365 Windows) which is now stained black with grit, its grand pilasters and geometric facade carvings in dire need of restoration, and the Teen Khuniya (or Three-Cornered House), with its distinctive triangular layout.
    — Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of stain
Noun
  • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key Kremlin ally who allowed Russia to launch its invasion of Ukraine partially from Belarusian soil, is also in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Once in the country they can be moved about on plants and produce, soil, logs, firewood, and mulch.
    — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of soil
Noun
  • Just about everything that can be is made in-house or sourced locally, from the bread by Wild Crafted to pimiento cheese by Nana’s Porch, Joyce Farms chicken, Urban Gourmet mushrooms and local NC oysters (when in season).
    — Sunny Hubler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2025
  • French Champagne and Italian Parmigiano cheese stand to lose if fresh tariffs are imposed.
    — Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of cheese
Noun
  • Describing the plot as utter nonsense would both be 100 percent correct and likely taken as a massive compliment for all involved.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Putin has repeatedly dismissed as nonsense Western claims that Russia could one day attack a NATO member.
    — Reuters, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of nonsense

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Cite this Entry

“Muck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muck

Nglish: Translation of muck for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muck

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