1
as in confusing
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
my mind had been thoroughly muddied by the long hours of exacting work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obfuscating
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
that argument is irrelevant and will just muddy the issue we're trying to resolve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in staining
to make dirty
forgot to take off our shoes and accidentally muddied the kitchen floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddying
Led by music-industry mogul Irving Azoff, the Oak View Group might have found itself with new competition after Legends Global entered the mix, but on Wednesday city officials appeared uninterested in further muddying the convoluted sale of the 112-acre complex.
—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
The Falcons don’t want any live pass rushers muddying the pocket and putting Penix at risk before he’s completely recovered from his knee injury.
—
Daniel Flick,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
In more recent drops, FIFA has also introduced Category 1 front-row seating at some games, further muddying the waters.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
The company is now at risk of muddying the waters with both, in an effort to keep investors happy.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
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
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.
—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.
—
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
The Falcons don’t want any live pass rushers muddying the pocket and putting Penix at risk before he’s completely recovered from his knee injury.
—
Daniel Flick,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
In more recent drops, FIFA has also introduced Category 1 front-row seating at some games, further muddying the waters.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
The company is now at risk of muddying the waters with both, in an effort to keep investors happy.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
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
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.
—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Also muddying the outlook for an end to the crisis is uncertainty about what the United States is trying to achieve.
—
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddying
Verb
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Why People Misunderstand This Intelligence The first mistake people make is confusing integrative intelligence with being broadly knowledgeable.
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Having said that, conversations might be confusing today.
Verb
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The political committee is also the subject of a recent Federal Election Commission complaint accusing it of obfuscating its expenses in violation of federal election rules.
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When The Star requested records related to ATO being placed on probation last year, the outcome letter KU provided was heavily redacted, completely obfuscating the narrative of the hazing allegations that university investigators found to be credible.
Verb
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Apply a sealant to the sidewalk, if desired, to prevent future staining.
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The memento, sourced from a Salvation Army, does show some signs of use in the film, including staining, frayed fringe, and some loose threads.
Verb
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The Illinois numbers, especially this year’s, are baffling experts.
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For more than four minutes Darnold drove downfield, connecting on three of four passes, baffling the pass rushers, bleeding the clock, and by the time the Seahawks finally gave the ball back, the Rams had only 25 seconds to live.
Verb
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Waves act like moving lenses, warping light and blurring underwater objects.
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These makers are much more reticent about the risks of blurring the once fine line between browsing sites and asking a large language model a question or instructing it to take potentially sensitive actions.
Verb
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.
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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.
Verb
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Just after send time yesterday morning, the Timberwolves made a puzzling splash by trading for Hornets star LaMelo Ball.
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And the performances from South Korea at the World Cup so far have been puzzling, given the talent at manager Hong Myung-bo’s disposal.
Verb
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However, a lack of diversity in thought was clouding every step forward.
-
Are foggy relationships clouding your goals and ambitions?
Cite this Entry
“Muddying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddying. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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