muddied

Everyday

1. Made dirty or covered with mud. tree →
2. (figurative) Made something less clear or more confusing, as in "muddied the waters". tree →

In the lessons

Everyday: muddied boots, knees and football kits. In stories and news, "muddy the waters" means to make a situation more confusing, often on purpose. Phrases: "muddy the waters", "muddied boots".

Examples

• The players came off the pitch with muddied knees. tree →
• My new trainers got muddied on the walk. tree →
• The stream was muddied after the heavy rain. tree →
• Leave your muddied wellies by the back door. tree →
• His long explanation only muddied the waters. tree →
• The cows had muddied the gate with their hooves. tree →
• The extra rules muddied things instead of making them clear. tree →

Note

Spelling: change "y" to "i" before -ed (muddy → muddied, muddies), but keep the "y" before -ing (muddying). "Muddy" is also an adjective: "muddy boots".