STICK-IN-THE-MUD Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

stick-in-the-mud

noun

ˈstik-ən-t͟hə-ˌməd

Definition of stick-in-the-mud

as in conservative

a person with old-fashioned ideas the committee is dominated by old stick-in-the-muds who have little interest in bringing new ideas to the table

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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 stick-in-the-mud One only has to think about the British fight against Nazism to be reminded that it was made of imperialists, constitutionalists, stick-in-the-mud aristocrats, and the socialists who first helped put Winston Churchill into power and then five years later helped push him out again. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 But opposing him is Stagg, a Scottish, stick-in-the-mud academic (which is saying a lot by most weather men’s personality standards), who insists on making the team’s joint recommendation exclusively using the current observational data available to Allied forces. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026 Bostwick starred as the naive stick-in-the-mud and fiancé of Janice, Brad. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025 David Corenswet plays, quite literally, a stick-in-the-mud character. — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stick-in-the-mud

Noun

Eventually, the conservatives succeeded; the denomination finally divided in a schism in 2024, with more than seventy-six hundred congregations leaving to join a conservative Global Methodist Church.

— Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Graham has framed her outsider status as an asset, while pointing to Trump's support as one of the key reasons conservatives should support her bid for a full term.

— Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of conservative

Noun

The tech giant is donating 130,000 glasses to legally blind US veterans.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The hedge fund veteran and Cabinet secretary chose a starting point for his analysis that downplayed the bond market’s reaction to Trump’s presidency.

— Kevin Breuninger,Matt Peterson, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of veteran

Noun

For a long time, this fossil sat in museum archives under a quiet case of mistaken identity.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
The team notes that since the fossil was located in an area that would have once been where water and land met, the insect's transitional habitat played a key role in its evolution.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of fossil

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“Stick-in-the-mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stick-in-the-mud. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stick-in-the-mud

noun

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