as in staining
to make dirty
you can't work in the garden and not expect to muck your clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mucking
Most years consist of routine maintenance, like mucking, where crews work below the lock floor, removing debris from the drainage system using shovels and buckets.
—
Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Whether shoveling your driveway, building a snow man with the kids, or just generally mucking around in the cold, sleet and snow, Muck Boots will keep you comfortable and protected.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Whether shoveling your driveway, building a snow man with the kids, or just generally mucking around in the cold, sleet and snow, Muck Boots will keep you comfortable and protected.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mucking
Verb
-
Studies have found that embarrassment around menstruation remains common, with many girls reporting anxiety about leaks, staining or being noticed by peers.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
So, Navon and her husband undertook a full restoration, sanding and staining them a honey-oak hue that warms up the home from the ground up.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But now, with its Major League Baseball opening night rights, the streamer is messing with the wrong fan base.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Tulane’s other big contingent, activist investors, have been a bit defanged by AI, which is messing with companies’ strategies and their ability to credibly critique them.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Also on the good side of things is Sean Bell’s lanky Sir Robin, the not-quite-so-brave, armor-soiling knight.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
On TikTok, as The Washington Post has reported, some creators are making $5,000 a month using AI tools to write scripts and animate extremely dumb viral videos where old men talk about soiling themselves.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Assets worth at least $1 million — which includes the vast majority of real estate in San Francisco — are also grouped together, further muddying the picture.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mucking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mucking. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
