muscle-bound

adjective

Definition of muscle-boundnext
as in muscular

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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-bound But their skeletons seemed peculiar—stocky and muscle-bound, with mashups of features seen in various groups of modern-day mammals. — Steve Brusatte, Scientific American, 1 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscle-bound
  1. muscular
  2. athletic
  3. powerful
  4. sinewy
  5. burly
  6. mighty
  7. strapping
  8. beefy
Adjective
  • The sense of doom freed them to push hard into a rich new pop direction, filling Sound of Lies with songs that were deeply felt and sometimes dark amid the muscular pop hooks.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Years later, while O’Brien was developing Rocky Horror, the two ran into each other outside a London gym where O’Brien had been scouting muscular men for the show.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of muscular
Adjective
  • California permits students to participate in athletic teams and in competitions that match their gender, regardless of what gender is listed on their records.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Driveways, sidewalks, parking areas, swimming pools, athletic courts, terraces and other hard surfaces count, too.
    — Luisa Yanez Updated September 3, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of athletic
Adjective
  • Bonnell has previously shown the larger 902, which is expected to become the more powerful flagship of the company's e-Moto range.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This quietly powerful exploration of familial bonds across generations is a story of finding hope and the importance of a home.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026
  • The White man, his sinewy, tattooed arms already beet-red from the sun, shouldered the cross from the center beam.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of sinewy
Adjective
  • This burly and battle-tested Chaminade-Madonna offensive line is led by three-star 6-foot-5 guard Devon Munnings, who is committed to Liberty.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor Lally is a blue-eyed, burly, bespectacled man, with a beard about halfway to the the full Duck Dynasty look.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of burly
Adjective
  • Anything larger would’ve been biting off more than even mighty Roman, with its panoramic field of view, could readily chew.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Himalayan build-out The Himalayan landmass rises from shifting fault lines and is sliced by mighty rivers that are fed by glaciers.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of mighty
Adjective
  • Ser Duncan the Tall, is a strapping but awkward young man with little confidence and few skills.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Henney is best known for playing the strapping and heroic Special Agent Matt Simmons on Criminal Minds.
    — Hoda Mallone, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of strapping
Adjective
  • Both the Grand Canyon and ML-T previously traded out the original 2021 floating auxiliary front roof lights for a beefier front light bar during a 2024 refresh.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Despite their physical size and heft, the beefy BFGs ride beautifully.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of beefy

Browse Nearby Words

muscle
muscle-bound
muscle car
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muscle-bound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscle-bound. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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