to muddle along

Examples

• All

• America, meanwhile, is muddling along with 9.7 percent unemployment.

  Blog text (28)

• We're stuck for now with an anemic and debt-laden economy that may muddle along for years.

  Academic text (2011)

• Guess I'll just muddle along.

  Blog text (2)

• Other coaches may remain in coaching, but merely muddle along, surviving rather than thriving.

  Academic text (2004)

• They muddle along from one crisis to another instead of developing the people skills that are required in today's business environment.

  Blog text (17)

• The U.S. economy will probably muddle along until U.S. households can reduce their debts, which will probably take many years as Americans have been on a spending binge via borrowing for decades.

  Blog text (12)

• Even with unprecedented economic and institutional problems exacerbating political and drug-related violence, Colombia could continue to muddle along for some time.

  Academic text (1999)

• During tough times, many people tend to muddle along without a clear direction.

• When faced with unexpected challenges, we often just muddle along and adjust as needed.

• In the absence of a solid plan, they decided to muddle along and see how things turn out.

Synonyms

B

to blunder

vsto muddle along

5 4.8

To move in a clumsy, confused way without clear direction

advance without a plan but with less emphasis on clumsiness

P

to plod through

vsto muddle along

1 5.6

To work slowly and steadily through a task despite finding it hard

keep going without steady rhythm, handling problems as they arise

S

to scratch along

vsto muddle along

• UK

7.8

Manage to live with very little money

continue by coping ad hoc rather than following any clear plan

Antonyms

P

to plan

∞ 1.0

To decide and arrange in advance how to do something

How Well

to succeed

846 2.0

to manage

239 2.3

to get by

121 3.1

to muddle along

• Informal

1 7.2

to struggle

851 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology