CRUD Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

crud

noun

ˈkrəd

Definition of crud

as in dirt

foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something you must have stepped in something, because there's crud all over your shoe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bastard

slang a person whose behavior is offensive to others I don't care how hip that clothing store is, their employees behave like absolute cruds

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 crud That includes self emptying debris into a washable bin that should hold up to a month's worth of crud, cleaning its own mop pad with hot water and drying it with hot air, and self-refilling with clean water from a tank inside its dock. — New Atlas, 8 Mar. 2026 In addition, deep cleaning the crud out of appliances extends lifespan and functionality. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 13 Jan. 2026 Generous tip and tail rocker ensures effortless flotation in powder and spring slush, and the ski’s responsive nature makes navigating crud and chop surprisingly intuitive. — Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 19 Nov. 2025 But my 7-year-old needs to go to second grade, and there's just going to be crud that comes home. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crud

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crud

Noun

Working in quick, gentle strokes, Abrams used her brush and sprayer to peel away dirt hiding the floral details on Eliza’s grave before moving to the next.

— Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
The other townsfolk speculate on his prowess, his package, and why The Fisherwoman has lost all the dirt on her face and is now positively glowing.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of dirt

Noun

Wolf has never sounded more grounded than with 10 toes down in the muck.

— Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
As feminists fought patriarchy’s attempt to render women vulnerable socially and leave us dependent on men for money and more, the all-too-human inevitability of vulnerability and dependence got lost in the muck.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of muck

Noun

Continuing to explore the hotel’s outdoor spaces, next up is the Almagra Rooftop, which gets its name from the originally Arabic word used to describe the typically reddish soil found in Seville.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
The mangrove forest's mature trees and carbon-rich soils store earth warming greenhouse gases, said Marie Arnaud, a researcher at the French Sustainable Development Institute based at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of soil

Noun

That’s not to jinx the master clown who’s currently doddering around in Argan’s shoes on Broadway.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
In several descriptions of these amateur events, including some of his own, Hemingway sounds less like a matador than a rodeo clown.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of clown

Noun

Tanks full of radioactive sludge exposed him to at least 48 potentially hazardous chemicals.

— Lizz Giordano, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
Investigators have also removed drums containing an oily, sludge-like material from the property and have investigated the home for signs of wet cremation, when a mix of chemicals are used to break down human remains.

— Joe Holden, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of sludge

Noun

But there is also no mistaking the distinct black-and-white fur and bushy tails of skunks.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 22 Oct. 2026
Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of skunk

Browse Nearby Words

crucifying

crud

cruddy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Crud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crud. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of crud

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes