gunk

noun

ˈgəŋk How to pronounce gunk (audio)
Definition of gunknext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 gunk The gunk Bondurant observed was likely didymo disturbed off the bottom of the river by people swimming and walking around. — Hannah Smith july 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026 Vacuum the spot to remove any excess gunk to make any further treatment more effective and prevent as much muck from actually leaving a stain in the first place. — Bridget Reed Morawski, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026 Your pores might be congested with gunk or product residue, so double-cleansing can make all the difference. — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 23 June 2026 Neurons, firing hundreds of times per second, get clogged with their own gunk—and the accumulation of that gunk is what triggers the need to sleep. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
  1. dirt
  2. muck
  3. soil
  4. sludge
  5. sewage
  6. crud
  7. garbage
Noun
  • Astronomer and space historian Jonathan McDowell says that many rocket stages and other objects left in orbit between Earth and the moon since the first lunar missions in the 1960s may have ended up on the gray dirt.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Gatwood hoped to put in a new fence and was raking some rocks and dirt to make the yard smoother.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of dirt
Noun
  • Mops of ghostly streamers, some of them longer than my arm, were waving like tentacles atop layers of black muck.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Even when House of the Dragon is at its best, the prophecy skitters in to make a muck of things.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • Officials had to reset Buffalo’s play clock in the first quarter so umpire Tab Slaughter could smash down loose soil in the backfield.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Add the impacts of climate change, which have resulted in warmer springs and drier soils that reduce runoff into the reservoirs, and average or above-average rainfall no longer guarantees equivalent runoff.
    — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • The ball rolled to the sticky floor, littered with crushed six-pack carriers and a fine layer of winter sludge, and two competitors dove to fetch it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than paying millions to haul away toxic sludge, facilities could soon scrub their rinse water for immediate reuse to harvest high-purity copper directly off their treatment equipment.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sludge
Noun
  • Paved sidewalks, sewage systems and wastewater treatment plant.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • His job hauling buckets of sewage from the latrines was no fun.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • There used to be more opportunities, in other words, to separate the wheat from the crud.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
  • This isn't just unsanitary—the buildup of crud could eventually interfere with your mixer's moving parts.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Definition of crud
Noun
  • Marcy had her hair tied up with a bow made from nylon cord and was bent over a fold-up kitchen counter rearranging wet garbage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Polls show Farage is still likely to win, but that Count Binface — a spoof candidate who wears a garbage pail on his head — may get around 20-percent of the vote.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of garbage

Browse Nearby Words

gung ho
gunk
gunky
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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