Definition of mud
as in sludge
soft wet earth we cannot play softball today because the field turned to mud after last night's heavy rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 mud Our geologists suspect that the polygons outline fractures that formed through drying, like cracks in mud do, or through thermal cycles, or compression. Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 Footage shows torrents of mud and debris sweeping through settlements and carrying buildings and vehicles with them. Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 The floods began when a glacier collapsed into a valley, blocking a river and causing water levels to surge some 30 feet in just 30 minutes, burying people and communities in mud. Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 Drone footage also shows flooding devastation along the river as mud and floodwaters engulf riverside communities. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mud
Noun
  • Pumping at high speeds creates a suction vortex (upconing) that violently draws heavy sludge into the production stream, fouling piping and destroying surface pumps.
    Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Related Stories The report noted that sludge remained Saitex’s primary source of waste in 2025, and that the company repurposed 40 percent of that waste to produce bricks for garden walkways and concrete blocks for retaining walls.
    Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The deep muck provides a cap for the shallow aquifer, helping to clean and filter freshwater that supplies drinking water for Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and parts of Palm Beach County.
    Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Within seconds of the mudslide’s arrival, the six-story Gyirong Port building is completely consumed by the muck.
    Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Those features can also be useful from Monday through Friday, especially when the route to class or work includes damaged pavement, construction zones and gravel shortcuts.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Stage six’s partly-gravel climb up the Puerto El Bartalo will surely be too tough for him, but Saturday’s flat finish in Xeraco already seems destined to end in a Brennan victory.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Most Popular Above all, Cape Town is a beach town that spoils with options for sun and sand.
    Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Camp out under the stars near a pristine, white sand beach at Water Canyon Campground, located on Santa Rosa Island.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mud. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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