muscles

8 definitions • 15 examples

one of many tissues in the body that can tighten and relax to produce movement:

neck/back/leg/stomach muscles

facial muscles

bulging/rippling muscle He looks like a boxer, with thick arms and bulging/rippling (= large and clear to see) muscles.

flex your muscles He flexed his muscles (= tightened them to make them look large and strong) so that everyone could admire them.

These exercises build muscle and increase stamina.

muscle spasm The condition causes weakness and muscle spasms (= sudden uncontrollable tightening movements).

to injure a muscle by stretching it too far so that it is very painful:

Russell pulled a back muscle early in the game.

the power to do difficult things or to make people behave in a certain way:

This magazine has considerable financial muscle and can afford to pay top journalists.

The company lacks the marketing muscle to compete with drug giants.

one or more people who are and look strong and powerful, especially people employed to protect someone or frighten other people:

The men he employs as muscle are locked in a game of who's the hardest.

The plotters used members of the mob as muscle.

a mass of tissue in the body, often attached to bones, that can tighten and relax to produce movement

Muscle is also the power to do things or to make people behave in a certain way:

[ U ] Republicans are flexing some political muscle.

to force your way into a place or situation:

[ T ] Starks muscled his way to the basket.

[ I ] Amanda muscled in on our meeting.

the power to do difficult things or to make people behave in a certain way:

We do have the financial muscle to compete effectively in this market.