mug 1 of 2

Definition of mugnext
1
as in cup
a round vessel equipped with a handle and designed for drinking a coffee mug

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2
3
as in face
the front part of the head she joked about not having to see his ugly mug anymore

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4
as in mouth
the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal keep your mug shut and listen up

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5
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval an involuntary mug at the revolting sight

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mug

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to grimace
to distort one's face every time their picture was snapped, both children mugged by sticking out their tongues or scrunching up their faces

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2
as in to photograph
to take a photograph of mugging captured criminals for the police records

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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 mug
Noun
Noah Centineo gives his beast mean mug while at Paramount Pictures' presentation at CinemaCon on April 16. Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026 Handwritten notes on cups, ceramic mugs, comfortable seating—human details—had proven more valuable to customers than efficiency. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026 Level up your coffee game with this travel mug that keeps liquids hot or cold without any exterior condensation. Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 16 Apr. 2026 Each entry in a report includes the defendant’s name, their mug shot, a generalized location and an arrest summary that includes charges, if the arrest resulted from a warrant, the warrant details and the arrest address. Wendi C. Thomas, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mug
Noun
  • While the pita bakes, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine ¾ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup (packed) brown sugar and cook until the sugar melts and bubbles vigorously.
    Ham El-Waylly, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
  • One of them then went to the soda machine and began filling the water cup with soda, at which point Patterson began yelling at both women.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.
    Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Mayor vows to catch 'thugs who did this' Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards promised that law enforcement will catch the people responsible for the violence at the mall.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Crow-Armstrong had a similar look on his face when that history came up again Friday.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The second group, Grand Penn Partners, is the corporate face of a plan to rebuild Penn Station as a Neo-classical complex.
    Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Phenomenal world-of-mouth is more than making up for generally lousy reviews (its Rotten Tomatoes critics score is 40 percent).
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Flint joined the scoring party in the 32nd minute with a header off her own miss from a tight angle on the left of the goal mouth.
    Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • May wears a smile more often than not, while Underwood is more associated with a perpetual scowl.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Despite having her arms almost permanently crossed and a scowl on her face, Ivy eventually starts to warm up, especially to her cheerful, horny-as-a-chihuahua cabin-mate Ella (Ruby Stokes, recently seen in Bridgerton and The Burning Girls).
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Snip upright suckers and water sprouts that zap the tree’s energy.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
  • But to think that suckers get an even break when insiders have information that assures them of winning is folly.
    William Mersey, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In the sixth, Pasquantino grimaced during the follow-through on his swing.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
  • As the others grinned and grimaced at their rivals’ responses, Becerra was as stone-faced as Buster Keaton.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • According to Nadar, Balzac believed that a photograph was a material remnant of that which had been photographed, the resulting image akin to a spectral skin peeled off its subject.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Then be sure to read our guide to photographing comets, along with our roundups of the best lenses and cameras for night sky photography.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mug. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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