as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
I have to wash my hands; I got gunk all over them somehow
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gunk
The nylon is durable, the bag has feet on the bottom to protect it from floor gunk, and there are a few different internal compartments for laptops, shoes, and other necessities.
—
Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 16 Aug. 2025
In the days of fireplaces and oil lamps, the soot and gunk in the air tended to settle on the tops of books.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
This deep-cleansing formula, powered by salicylic acid, goes beyond the surface to lift away oil, product buildup, and all that environmental gunk that can clog pores and lead to irritation.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 13 Aug. 2025
From hydrocolloid patches to neutralizing gels, few — at least in my experience — actually reduce redness, draw out gunk, and heal breakouts quickly.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 16 Aug. 2025
In the days of fireplaces and oil lamps, the soot and gunk in the air tended to settle on the tops of books.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
This deep-cleansing formula, powered by salicylic acid, goes beyond the surface to lift away oil, product buildup, and all that environmental gunk that can clog pores and lead to irritation.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 13 Aug. 2025
From hydrocolloid patches to neutralizing gels, few — at least in my experience — actually reduce redness, draw out gunk, and heal breakouts quickly.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
Noun
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Together Skelly and O’Steen buried Grimes, whom police would find covered by blankets, tarps and dirt, the defendant told the jury.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Vacuum to remove any remaining dirt that may be trapped in the rug’s fibers.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
McMillan looks like a future star Lost in the muck of the overall offensive performance against the Cardinals was McMillan.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
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The study recommends strategic test areas of algicide and treatments to sequester nutrients after large-scale mechanical clearing of the muck.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Regenerative agriculture and bioenergy are at the center of this shift—restoring soils, reducing emissions and creating new value streams for farmers and communities.—
Lucy Hurst,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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And these survived only because clay and salt in the surrounding soil protected them from further decay.—
Dirk Schulze-Makuch,
Big Think,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Little Calumet, just blocks from where Steagall used to live, had shores like quicksand from all the toxic sludge and the Grand Calumet River was one of the most polluted bodies of water emptying into Lake Michigan.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
15 Sep. 2025
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Desalinating that water, however, would produce tons of brine, or super-salty sludge, as waste.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This includes serving as a sewage station for your body—filtering and detoxing your blood, breaking down old red blood cells and recycling their iron—and a manufacturing plant of sorts—making key proteins and immune system cells, storing vitamins and minerals and processing your nutrients.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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According to authorities, operational disruptions at the wastewater plant generated excessive sewage odors that affected residents.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This isn't just unsanitary—the buildup of crud could eventually interfere with your mixer's moving parts.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
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Baking soda and water can be a good, inexpensive mixture to clean corrosion and crud from a car battery.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Start With Clean, Reliable Data Garbage in, garbage out.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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By the end, Flacco was removed from the game and rookie Dillon Gabriel led a garbage-time touchdown drive capped by an 8-yard scoring pass to Dylan Sampson.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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