grubbed; grubbing
Synonyms of grubnext

transitive verb

1
: to clear by digging up roots and stumps
2
: to dig up by or as if by the roots

intransitive verb

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 …The Lamp
2
: toil, drudge
Grubbing along at newspaper jobs …Walter Kirn
grubber noun

Examples of grub in a Sentence

Everyone was grubbing for whatever food they could find. students grubbing for better grades
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Despite his esoteric interests, Machen grubbed up a career as a popular and prolific author. Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 Released in 1958, Attack told of a wealthy heiress, fresh from a stint at a mental institution, who is turned into a giantess and then deals with her philandering husband and his no-good, money-grubbing floozy. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026 Countless publications and companies, whether The Washington Post or Toast, have created tipping guides to help consumers wade through this morass of money grubbing. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 26 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for grub

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grubben; akin to Old English grafan to dig — more at grave

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grub was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grub. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

grub

1 of 2 verb
grubbed; grubbing
1
: to clear or root out by digging
grub up roots
grub for potatoes
2
: to work hard : drudge
grubber noun

grub

2 of 2 noun
1
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect (as a beetle)
2
b
: an untidy or dirty person
3

Medical Definition

grub

noun
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect

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