Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

muscle in

Idioms  

  1. Also, muscle in on. Forcibly intrude on or interfere with something, as in The children were determined not to allow the school bully to muscle in, or No more muscling in on our policy decisions! [Colloquial; 1920s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I put on over 9 pounds of muscle in seven weeks after taking the therapy, despite not changing my workout or my diet.”

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

England's one area of joy was the scrum and their muscle in the set-piece saw Ford narrow the gap early in the second half.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Saudi-backed Newcastle are one of five Premier League teams among the top eight as it stands as the English sides flex their financial muscle in Europe's elite competition.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

In the region’s biggest military buildup since the 1980s, the U.S. has deployed some of its most battle-tested weaponry to the Caribbean under the professed goal of providing muscle in the war on drugs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

He hardened himself so that each muscle in his body was rigid and strained.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.