むくれる

む

く

れ

る

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

sulk; become sullen; get upset

usually written using kana alone

Describes someone, often a child, becoming visibly moody or pouting after feeling slighted or annoyed. Common in casual speech.

い

し

た

だけ

で

むくれる

ん

だ

から

。

He gets all sulky just from a little scolding.

2

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

Rarely used; refers to something peeling or flaking off by itself. More commonly expressed with 剥がれる (はがれる) or 剥ける (むける).

むくれるUsage100%
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 剥れる and 剝れる are rare and may be confused with other readings.
剥むくれる
Rare kanji form; the same kanji can also be read はがれる or はげる, so kana is preferred.
剝むくれる
Variant kanji form; even rarer than 剥れる.

すねる
すねる also means to sulk, but often implies a more prolonged, stubborn pout, while むくれる is more about a quick, visible reaction.
剥はがれる
剥がれる is the common word for something peeling or coming off; むくれる in this sense is rare and mostly replaced by 剥がれる or 剥ける.

The origin is uncertain. Possibly related to むく (向く) with a sense of turning away in displeasure, but this is speculative.