muscle in
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To interfere, or intrude forcibly.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The Government's £500 million Restoring Your Railway initiative - awarding small grants to put back lines that should never have been closed - has turned into a muddle because backers of multi-million pound projects have also muscled in.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “muscle in” mean?
To interfere, or intrude forcibly.
Is “muscle in” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.