1
2
3
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
an abused wife who was hopelessly stuck in a mire of emotional dependency
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to stain
to make dirty
the sight of the standard, which had emerged from the battle mangled and mired, still stirred the soldiers' hearts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 mire
Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Somehow, the once-proud Miami Dolphins -- still the singular franchise of The Perfect Season -- have become one of the dregs of the league, albeit (as this year) seldom one bad enough to gain a really high draft pick to help excavate from the mire.
—Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
JosÉ Luis Villegas, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
All three are mired in different, dispiriting versions of mid-life crises, and get involved in a kinky kinda sorta love triangle.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mire
Noun
Mariam is perceptive and inquisitive, yet often lost in the mire of her own thoughts.
—Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Somehow, the once-proud Miami Dolphins -- still the singular franchise of The Perfect Season -- have become one of the dregs of the league, albeit (as this year) seldom one bad enough to gain a really high draft pick to help excavate from the mire.
—Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
Verb
The 244-acre district has been mired in costly environmental cleanup and ownership changes since railyard operators pulled out in the 1990s.
—JosÉ Luis Villegas, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
All three are mired in different, dispiriting versions of mid-life crises, and get involved in a kinky kinda sorta love triangle.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mire
Noun
-
Due to unseasonably warm temperatures, many areas on the slopes are spotted with slush and mud.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The difference between the energy of the machine that resolutely crosses the cordillera and the tiny zeal in the wings of an insect that asks only for leaves to eat and mud in which to house her eggs.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cord grass ripples across these languorous northern marshes and, while ships lay wounded and stranded in the former Aral, all that remains of the old Parkgate are some very old photographs, showing frigates, sand, and some very fetching Victorian bathing attire.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
-
But during this year’s drought, much of that water is evaporating before reaching the marshes, Davis said.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lee said financial pressure on cities has contributed to DART’s predicament this year, and simply moving money around won’t help.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Councilmember Kent Lee said this winter that the dire predicament facing the city’s Transportation Department should have been the centerpiece of the campaign for a 2024 ballot measure to raise the city’s sales tax.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The most popular American sport, long recession-proof, forever immune to greed’s side effects, is prepared to stain its legacy.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The fossils become smooth, rounded and mineral-stained from their time underwater, a process that also complicates efforts to date them precisely.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wenrick did not answer questions about whether or not Valencia was trapped inside.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Islamic republic has threatened to attack vessels traversing the strait throughout the conflict, which has effectively closed off the conduit, trapping hundreds of ships in the Persian Gulf and spiking oil prices globally.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All seagrasses descend from a group of flowering plants that includes the arums and water plantains, many of which grow in swamps or along streams.—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
-
During a livestream of an airboat tour of a Florida swamp, Peters and a friend repeatedly fired handguns at an alligator.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
A little girl who loved green aliens, drinking pickle juice and picking buttercups in the field with her mom.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Megan Thee Stallion is a genuine fan of the product — she was publicly spotted combining Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with actual pickles before any brand partnership existed.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Most years consist of routine maintenance, like mucking, where crews work below the lock floor, removing debris from the drainage system using shovels and buckets.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Whether shoveling your driveway, building a snow man with the kids, or just generally mucking around in the cold, sleet and snow, Muck Boots will keep you comfortable and protected.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mire. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
