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
Relevance
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
This helps push through any gunk stuck in the pipes.
—
Kaity Kline, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
The non-drying, see-through patches are packed with hydrocolloids to draw out gunk from your blemishes and keep you from picking, pinching, and making every aspect of your breakout 100 times worse.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 18 Mar. 2025
Instead of pulling out a Magic Eraser to free the gunk (and compromising the protective coating), let the cookware soak for a bit before scrubbing it with a sponge or bristle brush.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2025
The stars of this formula are upcycled makgeolli lees (a byproduct of Korean rice wine), honey, kaolin clay, and rice hull powder—which together sweep away the gunk residing in your pores, gently buff away uneven texture, and with consistent use, help brighten discoloration.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Kaity Kline, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
The non-drying, see-through patches are packed with hydrocolloids to draw out gunk from your blemishes and keep you from picking, pinching, and making every aspect of your breakout 100 times worse.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 18 Mar. 2025
Instead of pulling out a Magic Eraser to free the gunk (and compromising the protective coating), let the cookware soak for a bit before scrubbing it with a sponge or bristle brush.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2025
The stars of this formula are upcycled makgeolli lees (a byproduct of Korean rice wine), honey, kaolin clay, and rice hull powder—which together sweep away the gunk residing in your pores, gently buff away uneven texture, and with consistent use, help brighten discoloration.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunk
Noun
-
In fact, there’s plenty of dirt and animals trotting around the house — a tangible way of indicating the family’s lack of wealth compared to characters like Darcy and his friend, Charles Bingley.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Crew members come up to Landau to discuss the process of making the floor resemble real dirt and mud, whether a test-your-strength carnival machine can be struck in time with the music, as well as drafts of a digital rendering of the sky that will grace the LED screen at the back of the stage.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The war settled into a brutal battle of attrition with limited movement along a frontline stretching for 600 miles through muck of eastern Ukraine.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2025
-
The Clippers’ success lately isn’t just stemming from them making games ugly with their defense and slogging through the muck.—
Zach Harper,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
To minimize outdoor pollution during poor air quality, officials urged people to carpool; telecommute; reduce trips or take public transportation; slow down when driving on dirt roads; and stabilize loose soils.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Teams will eventually undertake soil studies and drone-based, multispectral ground sensing to measure potential improvements to soil quality and carbon capture capacity on farmland that uses these techniques.—
Robin Roenker,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The toxic sludge is often used as farm fertilizer, thus contaminating both the food chain and public drinking water.—
Carson Swick,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Instead of simply breaking down the sludge, the system turns it into something useful.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The pumps in these sewage ejector pits have moving parts.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Nothing will knock the pretension out of you faster than having to go cover the sewage board hearing and having to type the school lunch menus.—
Samantha Dunn,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That crud jams up the works of your coffee maker, slows brewing down, and impacts the taste of your morning brew.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Soap removes sticky spills, smeared food or mud; bleach might take out the stains left once the crud is gone.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Mountains of garbage are said to be visible from space and people have complained of seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Apr. 2025
-
With the parent club, Davison has been stuck behind Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Payton Pritchard on the backcourt depth chart, limiting him to 15 mostly garbage-time appearances this season.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunk. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share