STICK-IN-THE-MUD Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

stick-in-the-mud

noun

ˈstik-ən-t͟hə-ˌməd

Definition of stick-in-the-mud

as in conservative

a person with old-fashioned ideas the committee is dominated by old stick-in-the-muds who have little interest in bringing new ideas to the table

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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 stick-in-the-mud One only has to think about the British fight against Nazism to be reminded that it was made of imperialists, constitutionalists, stick-in-the-mud aristocrats, and the socialists who first helped put Winston Churchill into power and then five years later helped push him out again. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 But opposing him is Stagg, a Scottish, stick-in-the-mud academic (which is saying a lot by most weather men’s personality standards), who insists on making the team’s joint recommendation exclusively using the current observational data available to Allied forces. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026 Bostwick starred as the naive stick-in-the-mud and fiancé of Janice, Brad. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025 David Corenswet plays, quite literally, a stick-in-the-mud character. — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stick-in-the-mud

Noun

Brattin was a member of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, an outspoken group of conservatives whose disruptive and boisterous tactics defined Missouri politics for years.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
There are socialists, libertarians, progressives, and conservatives.

— Jason Thurlkill, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of conservative

Noun

For wellness-minded readers, veterans and the parents of young athletes, how testosterone works has become more than a locker-room topic.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Reaves would be at least the 235th military veteran executed nationwide in the modern era and the 14th veteran executed under DeSantis.

— Gretchen Reynolds, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of veteran

Noun

To do this, the team of researchers used fossils and knowledge of mosasaurs' most recent living relatives – snakes and lizards like the komodo dragon – to recreate the hunting behavior of mosasaurs.

— October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
The discovery provides a detailed view into how the dinosaur’s body responded to injury before its death and demonstrates how neutron imaging can reveal soft tissues that are rarely preserved in fossils.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of fossil

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“Stick-in-the-mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stick-in-the-mud. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stick-in-the-mud

noun

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