1
: a representative specimen (see specimen sense 1) : sample
musters of goods for sale
2
a
: an act of assembling
specifically
: formal military inspection
Call out the troops to stand muster.
b
: critical examination
slipshod work that would never pass muster
c
: an assembled group : collection
a muster of biographical facts—
Time
Time
d
: inventory
were sent … to take the musters of this expedition—G. R. Elton
G. R. Elton
mustered; mustering
ˈmə-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
a
: to cause to gather : convene
b
: to enroll formally
—usually used with in or into
was mustered into the army
c
: to call the roll of
3
: to amount to : comprise
: to come together : congregate
Synonyms
Examples of muster in a Sentence
Noun
a muster of concerned citizens
considering the muster of suggestions that were submitted for “word of the year”
Verb
They pushed the car with all the strength they could muster.
a command to muster the troops
Recent Examples on the WebJonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors had argued the men knew the pages had a dubious chain of ownership but peddled them anyway, scheming to fabricate a provenance that would pass muster with auction houses and stave off demands to return the documents to Henley.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muster 
Noun
Bennett, the Sedgwick County district attorney, said the policy provides quality control for warrants and ensures judges’ time isn’t wasted by warrant applications that don’t pass muster.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors had argued the men knew the pages had a dubious chain of ownership but peddled them anyway, scheming to fabricate a provenance that would pass muster with auction houses and stave off demands to return the documents to Henley.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muster
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'muster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Muster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muster. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
muster
1 of 2 verb
mus·ter
ˈməs-tər
mustered; mustering
-t(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to enroll formally
was mustered into the army
b
: to assemble (as troops) for roll call or inspection
2
: to stir up or bring to action
all the strength I could muster
muster
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act of assembling
especially
: a formal military inspection or drill
b
: an assembled group : collection
2
: critical examination
work that did not pass muster
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