1
as in power
muscular strength
I'm going to need someone with real muscle to help me move all this furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strength
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
at the time the military lacked the muscle to fight two wars at once
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
he was muscled out of command by his opponents at military headquarters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muscle
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 19 Feb. 2025
There was plenty of pomp in the opening ceremony with the Pakistan Air Force lighting up the sky in the national colors of green and white, while the country's president Asif Ali Zardari stood center stage next to the literal trophy in an opportunity to flex some political muscle.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
The final straw for Joana, like many Mozambicans, came in 2019, when Frelimo’s Filipe Nyusi muscled his way into a second term as president by stuffing ballot boxes, giving votes to dead people, and intimidating the opposition.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Noun
And that, in turn, can help alleviate back pain by fortifying the deep trunk muscles that support your spine.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 19 Feb. 2025
There was plenty of pomp in the opening ceremony with the Pakistan Air Force lighting up the sky in the national colors of green and white, while the country's president Asif Ali Zardari stood center stage next to the literal trophy in an opportunity to flex some political muscle.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
Mega social media platforms usually suffer a long death, shedding relevance and users as they’re slowly usurped by a new innovative generation of upstarts, like Facebook muscling out Myspace.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
The final straw for Joana, like many Mozambicans, came in 2019, when Frelimo’s Filipe Nyusi muscled his way into a second term as president by stuffing ballot boxes, giving votes to dead people, and intimidating the opposition.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
Noun
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Critics, even in his own ranks, saw this as an unforgivable breach of a political quarantine designed to keep the AfD out of power.—
Thomas Escritt,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
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Eldridge may have to spend more time in the minors before making his debut, but his home run on Saturday was further proof of how his power will translate at any and all ballparks.—
Justice delos Santos,
The Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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There’s an inner strength that comes out when needed.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Executing such an audacious plan takes courage, self-belief, and the ability to capitalise on one’s strengths.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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With three Oilers hustling to get back to defend the rush after Couturier forced a neutral-zone turnover, Michkov feathered a backhand to the front of the net through a maze of sticks to Tippett, who chipped it in.—
Kevin Kurz,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Image In recent weeks, President Trump has begun carrying out his plan for mass deportations across the nation, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents forcing undocumented immigrants back to their countries of origin.—
Dionne Searcey,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For the past week, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have repeatedly pushed unsubstantiated claims that dead Americans listed as 150 or older are receiving Social Security payments.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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There’s also evidence that the breakdown of prebiotics in your gut can contribute to satiety (or fullness) as well as alleviate constipation by helping push stool along.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Pair with a light cassoulet or rice pilaf and sesame beef.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
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On the grate, a half-dozen hunks of beef were slowly smoking.—
Rachel Monroe,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Adjusting schedules based on chronotype After pinpointing your chronotype, Breus recommends tailoring daily activities based on periods of peak energy and productivity levels.—
Amy McGorry,
Fox News,
23 Feb. 2025
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From scheduling home repairs to managing healthcare claims and family logistics, these routine tasks drain energy and productivity.—
Nirit Cohen,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While in Washington, Yehuda tries to coerce senators and congresspeople into negotiating with Hamas for the handover of Liat and Aviv, although the latter’s whereabouts remain unknown.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2025
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America's adversaries, such as Russia and Belarus, are becoming increasingly emboldened to detain U.S. civilians to coerce Washington into lopsided deals that serve their political and strategic interests, experts said.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The international order forged after World War II is imploding, squeezed on all sides by the return of strongmen, nationalism and spheres of influence — with President Trump leading the charge.—
Zachary Basu,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
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Goldman Sachs previously estimated that these tariffs could increase inflation by 1 percent while squeezing U.S. company profits and risking retaliatory measures from other nations.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs
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Cite this Entry
“Muscle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscle. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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