muscle 1 of 2

noun

ˈmə-səl How to pronounce muscle (audio)
Definition of musclenext
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

muscle

2 of 2

verb

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
2
as in to push
to force one's way muscling straight through the packed crowd of people waiting to board the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 muscle
Noun
Most uncomplicated muscle strains improve with symptomatic treatment, but some could develop neurological complications. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Peptides are small chains of amino acids that serve as building blocks for proteins and help regulate muscle growth, hormone signaling, enzyme formation and immune function. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
The actor has also been muscling his way into movies, appearing as part of the ensemble of the 2023 Fast & Furious movie Fast 10 and in 2024’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare from Lionsgate. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 In 2003, Kim Cattrall bared her abs and muscled lower back in a glittering naked dress. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for muscle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle
  1. power
  2. strength
  3. force
  4. push
  5. beef
  6. energy
  7. coerce
  8. squeeze
Noun
  • Its boosted flat-six engine receives a power bump, and rear-axle steering is now standard, as are larger brakes with six-piston calipers up front.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Europe is now home to some of the most promising companies building clean power, while remaining an expensive place to buy it.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • The event’s jaw-dropping radiance stunned astronomers, who think that a GRB of this strength strikes Earth only once every 10,000 years.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Most leadership culture pushes people to catalog strengths, build on advantages, project confidence.
    — Flavio Maluf, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of strength
Verb
  • Andrey Khrzhanovskiy, a blogger who filmed the assault, said the settlers beat Levine with sticks while the journalists and villagers were forced to retreat.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Trump repeatedly leaned on Thune to kill the filibuster in order to pass it, and other senators wanted Thune to try to force Democrats to pull off a talking filibuster to block the bill.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • Torrential rain has pushed all three waterways higher for days, spilling them over their banks in northeastern Argentina, southern Paraguay and western Uruguay.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Audit reports, supplier codes of conduct and corporate sustainability pledges have made up the bulk of brands’ efforts to push a more ecological and socially aware agenda, but times have changed.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of push
Noun
  • The restaurant will sell an assortment of Korean rib, beef and bone soups.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Ryu wins the first time, but the brothers have a falling out and start a beef with a demon named Akuna before going their separate ways.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of beef
Noun
  • But fear not, Lisa will be channeling that energy into her art.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • It was deemed Biden’s signature climate law, providing hundreds of billions of dollars for tax credits and programs to bolster the clean energy sector (much of that funding was repealed by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act).
    — Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of energy
Verb
  • Terry Kay liked to tell the story of how he was coerced into writing his first novel by Pat Conroy, who told his literary agent Kay had written a brilliant manuscript.
    — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike an appeal, the post-conviction process allows a petitioner to introduce new information, such as new allegations or evidence that their attorney coerced or threatened them.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • Meta squeezes two independent light-guiding cores into a single standard glass strand to double its bandwidth.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.
    — , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze

Browse Nearby Words

murrains
muscle
muscle-bound
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Cite this Entry

“Muscle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscle. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muscle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muscle

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