1
as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
my mind had been thoroughly muddied by the long hours of exacting work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blurred
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
that argument is irrelevant and will just muddy the issue we're trying to resolve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stained
to make dirty
forgot to take off our shoes and accidentally muddied the kitchen floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddied
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
There is a desperate need to protect first-party data, which becomes muddied when bots, rather than humans, navigate a site.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
San Antonio has three ball handlers capable of running offense in a postseason that begs teams to fight through muddied possessions.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Our photo shoot takes place in his vineyards, and Cucinelli makes the short drive there himself behind the wheel of a muddied silver Rolls-Royce.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The line between law enforcement and partisan vindictiveness can also become muddied.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Her feet are bare, the toenails a little muddied.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Computers, desks, a washer and dryer were among the belongings in the muddied basement that were wrecked in the storm.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Voters say campaigns have muddied the waters on the issue, from contradictory direct mail campaigns to a leading ballot question.
—Jahd Khalil, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
As if that wasn't enough, a spike in energy prices tied to the Middle East conflict has further muddied the economic outlook and put strain on consumers at the pump.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
The presentation is muddied a bit by the strong bass and lack of stereo separation, which crowds the lower registers (something that’s not helped by the recording's acoustics).
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Former Managing Director Fabio Paratici being suspended for most of his time as Spurs’ chief decision-maker muddied the waters further.
—Joe Prince-Wright, NBC news, 13 Mar. 2026
The Iran conflict has muddied expectations of imminent US Federal Reserve rate cuts, with rising oil prices reviving inflation fears and forcing investors to reassess how quickly the Fed can ease policy.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
There was appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity, as well as the wisdom and words, that Holtz provided to them during their lives, but it was muddied by his support of a political figure so many passionately opposed, and/or despised.
—Mac Engel
march 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
But the BAFTAs muddied the waters (Robert Aramayo, not in the Oscar mix, was the unexpected winner).
—ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
During a nearly four-hour Friday hearing in Mecklenburg County small claims court, Jackson and Agape’s attorneys parsed through a muddied timeline that involved verbal agreements between Ball, Jackson and either Cam Newton or his father, Cecil Newton.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
There is a desperate need to protect first-party data, which becomes muddied when bots, rather than humans, navigate a site.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
San Antonio has three ball handlers capable of running offense in a postseason that begs teams to fight through muddied possessions.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Our photo shoot takes place in his vineyards, and Cucinelli makes the short drive there himself behind the wheel of a muddied silver Rolls-Royce.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The line between law enforcement and partisan vindictiveness can also become muddied.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Her feet are bare, the toenails a little muddied.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Computers, desks, a washer and dryer were among the belongings in the muddied basement that were wrecked in the storm.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
The entrance of the American streamers into the factual drama space has muddied the waters in terms of defining a show’s success, according to Jeff Pope, who made his first streamer show last year.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Voters say campaigns have muddied the waters on the issue, from contradictory direct mail campaigns to a leading ballot question.
—Jahd Khalil, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
As if that wasn't enough, a spike in energy prices tied to the Middle East conflict has further muddied the economic outlook and put strain on consumers at the pump.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
The presentation is muddied a bit by the strong bass and lack of stereo separation, which crowds the lower registers (something that’s not helped by the recording's acoustics).
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Former Managing Director Fabio Paratici being suspended for most of his time as Spurs’ chief decision-maker muddied the waters further.
—Joe Prince-Wright, NBC news, 13 Mar. 2026
The Iran conflict has muddied expectations of imminent US Federal Reserve rate cuts, with rising oil prices reviving inflation fears and forcing investors to reassess how quickly the Fed can ease policy.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
There was appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity, as well as the wisdom and words, that Holtz provided to them during their lives, but it was muddied by his support of a political figure so many passionately opposed, and/or despised.
—Mac Engel
march 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
But the BAFTAs muddied the waters (Robert Aramayo, not in the Oscar mix, was the unexpected winner).
—ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddied
Adjective
-
Warsh believes markets have driven those rates up in response to muddled policy from the Fed, including the recent spike in inflation after Covid — but going much further back, too.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
-
This switch-up to the formula makes new episodes of The Comeback compelling to watch, even as the season’s big-picture storytelling remains a bit muddled.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Valve’s upcoming Steam Controller (not to be confused with the 2015 controller of the same name) is the Steam maker’s effort to replace those controllers with something more explicitly designed for the PC, and for the upcoming Steam Machine.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The venomous coral snake does not have the telltale arrowhead shape and can often be confused with the nonvenomous kingsnake.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two of Horner's former teachers – both requesting their faces be blurred – delivered some of the most emotional testimony of the day.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The offense has blurred the lines between inconsistent and borderline unwatchable.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Additional surveillance footage showed Marcelin in his building's laundry room cleaning a kitchen mat that appears stained with blood, according to prosecutors.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Frail elderly women, swathed in headscarves and saris, worshipped while sitting on puddled pavement near corroded metal changing lockers plastered with ads for Glow & Lovely skin cream.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This length is easier to maintain and avoids the tripping hazards of puddled fabric while still looking polished.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The mass unemployment everyone feared is still missing Initial jobless claims rose to 214,000 in the most recent week surveyed but the overall trend remains down and Wall Street is slightly puzzled as to why.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The city’s handling of its project to improve Clairemont’s Olive Grove Park, which has been underway for nearly two years, has left the community puzzled.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dahl assumes that Jessica’s background as a New York Jew has clouded her sympathy for the innocent casualties of Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Has the day perhaps clouded my judgment?—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Add the unpeeled garlic and toast until blackened, about 5 minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Loss of valuables in the ruins The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddied. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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