mire 1 of 2

noun

ˈmī(-ə)r 
Definition of mire
1
as in mud
soft wet earth played on a football field that was thick with mire

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2
as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water much of the land in that area is mire that cannot be developed

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3
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape an abused wife who was hopelessly stuck in a mire of emotional dependency

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mire

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to stain
to make dirty the sight of the standard, which had emerged from the battle mangled and mired, still stirred the soldiers' hearts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trap
to place in conflict or difficulties the case has been mired in probate court for years

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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 mire
Noun
The team found a major levoglucosan peak centered around 1128 CE, coinciding with a similar peak recorded from the Schwarzboden mire peat core, another important reservoir of atmospheric history sampled about 12 miles southeast of Weißseespitze. — Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2026 You're then left with a low-profile tow-anywhere trailer that wants nothing more than to grab hold of your favorite bikes and splash through mud and mire, hell and high water, to get you to your favorite trails, jumps and whoops. — New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
News of the sale comes as Walter’s financial business is mired in legal trouble. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 The 30-year-old Watson's tenure with the Browns has been mired by injuries and turmoil. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mire
  1. mud
  2. marsh
  3. predicament
  4. stain
  5. trap
  6. swamp
  7. pickle
  8. muck
Noun
  • Before-and-after images aired by state broadcaster China Central Television showed a multistory building and more than a dozen vehicles covered in mud.
    — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In Tibet, a mudslide that struck near the land border crossing of Gyirong Port on Wednesday left mud in the surrounding areas that was more than 5 feet deep on average, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
    — Niranjan Shrestha, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mud
Noun
  • Smaller marshes are proposed at the Tecolote Creek outfall and at East Shores south of the visitor center.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • North American river otters live in rivers, lakes, streams, marshes and on seacoasts, according to the conservation group River Otter Ecology Project.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of marsh
Noun
  • Cambodia's predicament shows that dangers remain even when fighting ends.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And Mitchell doesn't waste any time making the life-or-death stakes of the Platts' predicament abundantly clear.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of predicament
Verb
  • But even the most dependable pieces eventually become too stained, scratched, or mismatched for food storage.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Clark’s denim featured unique distressing, looking as if the denim was once white and stained with coffee.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • That snow warms the ground below and allows microbes during the winter to release more of the heat-trapping gas methane, Elmendorf said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Making memory foam breathe Cooling materials can only do so much if warm air remains trapped inside a mattress, so ventilation makes up another substantial part of the design.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of trap
Noun
  • The half moons on the crawfish's back and their spotty claws identify the red swamp crawfish.
    — Elle Meyers, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • After that, the Guadalquivir River ecosystem saw a huge overhaul as the swamp crayfish carried Aphanomyces astaci.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of swamp
Noun
  • Freebairn said an old pickle jar can hold a starter, and an ordinary bowl can substitute for a proofing basket.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The kitchen’s electrical oven roasts them during the daytime; they’re then chilled and served cold, with hot sauce, a ramekin of mayonnaise, and a pile of pickle spears.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pickle
Verb
  • But a second straight dud season would really muck things up.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The Socceroos will try their best to muck it up and play a very defensive brand of soccer against America, while also boasting a great goalkeeper in Matthew Ryan.
    — Austin Perry, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of muck

Browse Nearby Words

mirages
mire
mired
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Cite this Entry

“Mire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mire. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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