as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
I have to wash my hands; I got gunk all over them somehow
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gunk
The baking soda and vinegar work together to dislodge and loosen gunk blocking the drain.
—
Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 1 Apr. 2026
Enhancing the extraterrestrial vibe are the two clear, plastic tubes (called drains) sprouting from their heads, through which all manner of blood and ooze exit the face, dripping into suction bulbs that dangle below their ears, storing the gunk.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Fresh off a surprise cosign from Aespa member Giselle, zayok is one of the leaders of an amorphous digital scene that includes gunk and sydney runner, whose music iterates on carbine-y wonkiness to form a new kind of balladry halfway between SoundCloud IDM, rap, and voice memo.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
The Columbia Venturetrot Boot is made out of vulcanized rubber (hardened by heat and sulfur) for durability, and mud and gunk just slide right off of it.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 1 Apr. 2026
Enhancing the extraterrestrial vibe are the two clear, plastic tubes (called drains) sprouting from their heads, through which all manner of blood and ooze exit the face, dripping into suction bulbs that dangle below their ears, storing the gunk.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Fresh off a surprise cosign from Aespa member Giselle, zayok is one of the leaders of an amorphous digital scene that includes gunk and sydney runner, whose music iterates on carbine-y wonkiness to form a new kind of balladry halfway between SoundCloud IDM, rap, and voice memo.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
The Columbia Venturetrot Boot is made out of vulcanized rubber (hardened by heat and sulfur) for durability, and mud and gunk just slide right off of it.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
Noun
-
The wind and the pebbles that were on the dirt courts.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The highest-scoring, fastest-flying team on the ice this season just can't seem to completely solve the lock-down, muck-up-the-middle approach of the Los Angeles Kings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Popular with airboaters, froggers and fishermen, the swampy muck beneath the water may have acted as a pincushion, essentially swallowing the disabled DC-9 aircraft.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In general, plants in window boxes need good drainage, high-quality soil, and frequent watering to flourish.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Mexico’s government said Saturday that two CIA agents killed in a car crash in Chihuahua were unauthorized to participate in operations on Mexican soil.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the basin’s draining began in late March, some in the community worried about turtles being left behind in the sludge.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
First, in the pretreatment step, the sludge was heated to high temperatures and exposed to oxygen.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gaza’s most dire conditions — the lack of food and medicine, continuing Israeli attacks, destroyed hospitals, schools and residential buildings, homelessness and overcrowding — now include rodents, climbing temperatures and open-air sewage.—
Jeremy Mikula,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The city’s sewer systems often overflow during storms, causing untreated sewage and water to flood streets and basements.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
That includes self emptying debris into a washable bin that should hold up to a month's worth of crud, cleaning its own mop pad with hot water and drying it with hot air, and self-refilling with clean water from a tank inside its dock.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lehkonen is a crease-crasher, a garbage collector and a pest, a greasy goal waiting to happen.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Wash them regularly to remove sugary or syrupy residues from garbage such as soda or fruit juices, which attract foraging bees.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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