Sticks in the mud is a phrase used to describe someone who is stubbornly resistant to change or progress. The crossword solutions for this phrase are EMBEDS (6 letters), MIRES (5 letters), and STEMS (5 letters). EMBEDS means to fix firmly in a surrounding mass, MIRES means to entangle or impede, and stems means to stop or check the progress of. Therefore, the phrase sticks in the mud can be interpreted as someone who is firmly entrenched in their ways and resists any attempts to move forward.