muddle through

verb

muddled through; muddling through; muddles through

intransitive verb

: to achieve a degree of success without much planning or effort

Examples of muddle through in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
His music suggests America will just have to muddle through, and wrestle with its own failure. Jane Levere, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 That was after the team traded all-time leading passer Matt Ryan following the 2021 season without an heir apparent in place and then muddled through back-to-back 7-10 seasons with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder at starting quarterback. Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 30 July 2024 Previous governors managed to muddle through their terms without a 1,500-person personal army, but none of them were trying to out-Trump Trump in the Republican presidential primaries. Fred Grimm, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024 So, people are muddling through their conversations and getting a lot wrong. Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for muddle through 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of muddle through was circa 1864

Dictionary Entries Near muddle through

Cite this Entry

“Muddle through.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muddle%20through. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!