muscle memory
noun
: the ability to repeat a specific muscular movement with improved efficiency and accuracy that is acquired through practice and repetition
Hitting the golf ball requires strength, flexibility, coordination and muscle memory.—
Al Barkow
Al BarkowThey practice their routines with mind-numbing repetitiveness, for hours and days, weeks and years, so that each spinning, twisting landing off the high bar becomes an act of muscle memory.—E. M. Swift
E. M. SwiftExamples of muscle memory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The process requires muscle memory, and your fingers need to be familiar with the sensation of applying the right amount.
—Laura Manzano, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026
Over time, this could build the muscle memory needed to make trade-offs that benefit the company over any individual department’s interests.
—Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026
The game packs an unbelievable amount of variety into its level design, and the controls are just unconventional enough to keep you from coasting on muscle memory.
—Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Travelers leave with both a finished object and, crucially, the muscle memory of having actually done it — not just watched it being done.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muscle memory
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Laura Manzano, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026
Over time, this could build the muscle memory needed to make trade-offs that benefit the company over any individual department’s interests.
—Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026
The game packs an unbelievable amount of variety into its level design, and the controls are just unconventional enough to keep you from coasting on muscle memory.
—Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Travelers leave with both a finished object and, crucially, the muscle memory of having actually done it — not just watched it being done.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muscle memory
Cite this Entry
“Muscle memory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muscle%20memory. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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