In order to study the shear strength characteristics of silty clay in the seasonally frozen area of Muling, cyclic freeze-thaw shear tests were systematically conducted through establishing a multivariable coupled control system incorporating water content, freezing temperature, and thawing duration. The variation patterns of shear strength in Muleng silty clay under different freeze-thaw conditions were obtained. The results show that the shear strength of the soil in the seasonally frozen area of Muling is significantly affected by water content, thawing time and freezing temperature. When the water content is greater than the optimum water content, the shear strength during freezing increases with the increase of the water content. As the thawing time increases, the shear strength of the specimens decreases with the increase of the water content. When the water content of the soil is close to the optimum water content, the influence of the increase in water content on the shear strength is not obvious. When the soil is in the frozen state, the change rate of the shear strength increases with the decrease of the freezing temperature. With the increase of the thawing time, the influence of the freezing temperature on the change rate of the shear strength of the specimens gradually decreases. From the frozen state to 6 hours of thawing, the change rate of the shear strength decreases significantly. When completely thawed, the change rate of the shear strength of the specimens is basically stabilized around 0.8. The research findings enhance the mechanistic understanding of shear strength evolution in seasonally frozen soils under cyclic freeze-thaw conditions, providing theoretical foundations related to the dynamic mechanisms of ice-water phase transitions for the design of shear strength parameters during freeze-thaw processes.