gunk

noun

ˈgəŋk How to pronounce gunk (audio)
Definition of gunknext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 gunk If the nozzle is clogged, Murahwa suggests using a toothpick to gently pick out whatever gunk is clogging it. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026 Both liken it to a Hydrafacial, apt to suck all the gunk out of your pores. — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026 The best shampoos cleanse your scalp and hair from roots to ends, freeing it from buildup and gunk without stripping the scalp of natural and vital oils. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 Aug. 2026 At some point, all that will be left is the gunk at the bottom of the storage containers, and physics will prevent the oil from flowing through those critical pipelines. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
  1. dirt
  2. muck
  3. soil
  4. sludge
  5. sewage
  6. crud
  7. garbage
Noun
  • Video of the attack showed Levine lying on her side on a dirt path with her hands over her face as at least three settlers surrounded her.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Piles of dirt were placed on tarps, transferred into buckets and carefully sifted under a tent as crews searched for potential evidence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dirt
Noun
  • Wolf has never sounded more grounded than with 10 toes down in the muck.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
  • As feminists fought patriarchy’s attempt to render women vulnerable socially and leave us dependent on men for money and more, the all-too-human inevitability of vulnerability and dependence got lost in the muck.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • Obviously, the network of partners and proxies did not deter an attack on Iranian soil.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The work raises new questions about soil, carbon, and even what counts as an individual organism.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • And at some point, you’re just locked in some attic getting a sludge transfusion from your apparently satanist mother in law?
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Just a noxious river of sludge and foul wind enveloping everything in the vicinity.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of sludge
Noun
  • Neighbors say deer could potentially be impaled, and there’s also the threat of raw sewage backing up into adjacent houses.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Careful observers can pick out sidewalks, underground sewage systems, and ceramic vases left behind.
    — Rick Steves, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • There used to be more opportunities, in other words, to separate the wheat from the crud.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
  • This isn't just unsanitary—the buildup of crud could eventually interfere with your mixer's moving parts.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Definition of crud
Noun
  • Prosecutors said Aurora was one of seven children, ages 2 months to 17 years, who lived in an east San José house on Lancelot Lane that was filled with cockroaches, pet feces, garbage and mold.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Clean your car full of garbage elsewhere and don’t hold up a line of customers.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage

Browse Nearby Words

gung ho
gunk
gunky
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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