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\ ˈbrənt 
\
\Definition of brunt
1 : the principal force, shock, or stress (as of an attack)
bear the brunt of the storm the brunt of the struggle with the German army fell upon the Russians— Walter Lippmann
2 : the greater part : burden
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Examples of brunt in a Sentence
the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders
Recent Examples on the Web Miller said George, Leonard and coach Doc Rivers share the brunt of the responsibility for the collapse.
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Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, "Reggie Miller says Paul George's postgame comments are a 'cop-out'," 17 Sep. 2020 The brunt of the storm now appears to be headed for Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
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Carlie Wells, NOLA.com, "Hurricane Sally: Watches and warnings discontinued for metro New Orleans as track shifts east," 15 Sep. 2020 Since then, the pandemic put tens of millions out of work and exacerbated existing inequalities, with lower-wage workers at places such as hotels and restaurants facing the brunt of job losses.
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Olivia Rockeman, Bloomberg.com, "U.S. Incomes Surged, Poverty Fell to 60-Year Low Before Virus," 15 Sep. 2020 But instead of scrutinizing schools that had COVID-19 run rampant through their teams, the Big Ten bore the brunt of the criticism simply for being cautious and deliberate.
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Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Opinion: College football celebrates COVID-19 outbreaks, ridicules cautious approach," 15 Sep. 2020 Recalled from Atlanta's alternate site to make his fifth start of the season, Touki Toussaint (0-2) absorbed the brunt of the damage during Baltimore's biggest inning since a nine-run outburst on April 15, 2016, in Texas.
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David Ginsburg, Star Tribune, "Orioles slug 3 homers in 9-run 3rd, pummel Braves 14-1," 14 Sep. 2020 The brunt of the heat is expected to hit the area Saturday into Monday.
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Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, "Southern California heat wave could break all-time records, raising fears of effects," 5 Sep. 2020 The pandemic has exposed the economic disparities among people of color that have long been known and women of color are feeling the brunt of impact.
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Chandelis Duster And Leah Asmelash, CNN, "The struggle for equality for Black and brown workers," 4 Sep. 2020 This diverts the impact away from the doors and toward the door frames so that the vehicle's body takes the brunt of the impact.
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Roberto Baldwin, Car and Driver, "2021 Mercedes S-Class Raises Safety Levels for the Luxury Class," 2 Sep. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brunt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for brunt
brunt
noun\ ˈbrənt \
\Kids Definition of brunt
: the main force or stress (as of an attack)
The coast received the brunt of the storm.
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Time Traveler for brunt
The first known use of brunt was in 1769
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