grubbed; grubbing
1
a
: to dig in the ground especially for something that is difficult to find or extract
b
: to search about
grubbed in the countryside for food—
Lamp
Lamp
grubber
noun
Synonyms
Examples of grub in a Sentence
Verb
Everyone was grubbing for whatever food they could find.
students grubbing for better grades
Noun
Let's go get some grub.
after the game, we headed to the diner for some hearty grub
Recent Examples on the WebM.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
Politics McCarthy’s vow to open Biden impeachment probe puts vulnerable California Republicans in a tough spot
Sept. 12, 2023
His son Hunter, the subject of a special counsel investigation, may have shamelessly grubbed for money by trading on the family name.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Money-grubbing developers don’t care about residents.
—Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023
No henchmen of adversarial intelligence services or money-grubbing fraudsters are going to abide by such a magnanimous international accord—even if governments or corporations pay it lip service.
—Robert Hackett, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2020
In its prickliness and insistence on the messiness and ineluctable pain of life, this is very different from the pandering, gold-grubbing titles that tend to hit theaters starting around now.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2019
Get our daily newsletter China’s freewheeling internet users hand plenty of precious information over to the country’s data-grubbing apps.
—The Economist, 7 Sep. 2019
Sonny’s Everyman tale revives the hope that cinema might still be a popular art form, even as the movie year heads into its ugliest, platitudinous, awards-grubbing phase.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2019
Enter Maximus Worthington, a money-grubbing real estate tycoon danced by CTT artistic director and lead choreographer Mark Yonally, who promises big profits for DRC by using a trickle-down model.
—Lauren Warnecke, chicagotribune.com, 9 June 2019
Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The FoodSaver System helps stash your grub in the freezer and stretch your dollar.
—Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2023
While searching for a place to get some grub, Lee received an email from a fan asking him to come try his mom’s restaurant, the Dining Experience, so Keith stopped in and noticed the place was completely dead compared with other restaurants in the Atlanta area.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Guests dined on grub from a variety of food stations (raw bar, pasta, yakitori) and listened to music from The Spare Keys, through Élan Artists.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023
True love fills you up like good grub, but bad love drains you like a tub.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2023
From post-Oscars In-N-Out grubs to presidential pitstops, these famous faces don't shy away from diving into the cheesy delight.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023
When the eggs hatch, the larvae — which are grubs — feed on the core of the plant, leaving it vulnerable to rot from the inside out.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
Its Fargo Bar & Grill has the feel of a down-home dive, but delivers top-notch service and huge platters of pub grub.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2023
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Verb
His bill is small, yet strong—perfect for grubbing about underwater for aquatic bugs, worms, snails, crayfish, and small mollusks.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
Politics McCarthy’s vow to open Biden impeachment probe puts vulnerable California Republicans in a tough spot
Sept. 12, 2023
His son Hunter, the subject of a special counsel investigation, may have shamelessly grubbed for money by trading on the family name.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Money-grubbing developers don’t care about residents.
—Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023
No henchmen of adversarial intelligence services or money-grubbing fraudsters are going to abide by such a magnanimous international accord—even if governments or corporations pay it lip service.
—Robert Hackett, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2020
In its prickliness and insistence on the messiness and ineluctable pain of life, this is very different from the pandering, gold-grubbing titles that tend to hit theaters starting around now.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2019
Get our daily newsletter China’s freewheeling internet users hand plenty of precious information over to the country’s data-grubbing apps.
—The Economist, 7 Sep. 2019
Sonny’s Everyman tale revives the hope that cinema might still be a popular art form, even as the movie year heads into its ugliest, platitudinous, awards-grubbing phase.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2019
Enter Maximus Worthington, a money-grubbing real estate tycoon danced by CTT artistic director and lead choreographer Mark Yonally, who promises big profits for DRC by using a trickle-down model.
—Lauren Warnecke, chicagotribune.com, 9 June 2019
Noun
More than 60 artists and 80 vendors take over the Garage Space Gallery in Boyle Heights for a night spent scouring vintage clothing and jewelry, getting your grub on and maybe even getting a tattoo.
—Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The FoodSaver System helps stash your grub in the freezer and stretch your dollar.
—Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2023
While searching for a place to get some grub, Lee received an email from a fan asking him to come try his mom’s restaurant, the Dining Experience, so Keith stopped in and noticed the place was completely dead compared with other restaurants in the Atlanta area.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Guests dined on grub from a variety of food stations (raw bar, pasta, yakitori) and listened to music from The Spare Keys, through Élan Artists.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023
True love fills you up like good grub, but bad love drains you like a tub.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2023
From post-Oscars In-N-Out grubs to presidential pitstops, these famous faces don't shy away from diving into the cheesy delight.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023
When the eggs hatch, the larvae — which are grubs — feed on the core of the plant, leaving it vulnerable to rot from the inside out.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
Its Fargo Bar & Grill has the feel of a down-home dive, but delivers top-notch service and huge platters of pub grub.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English grubben; akin to Old English grafan to dig — more at grave
Noun
Middle English grubbe, from grubben
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of grub was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing grub
Articles Related to grub
Dictionary Entries Near grub
Cite this Entry
“Grub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grub. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
grub
2 of 2 noun1
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect (as a beetle)
2
a
b
: an untidy or dirty person
3
Medical Definition
grub
noun
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect
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