strutted; strutting
Synonyms of strut

intransitive verb

1
: to become turgid : swell
2
a
: to walk with a proud gait
b
: to walk with a pompous and affected air

transitive verb

: to parade (something, such as clothes) with a show of pride
strutter noun
see also:

strut

2 of 3

noun

1
: a structural piece designed to resist pressure in the direction of its length
2
: a pompous step or walk
3
: arrogant behavior : swagger

strut

3 of 3

verb (2)

strutted; strutting

transitive verb

: to provide, stiffen, support, or hold apart with or as if with a strut

Examples of strut in a Sentence

Verb (1) the cat strutted proudly onto the porch with a bird in its mouth strutting his blue ribbon for all to see Noun the strut of a supermodel
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.
Verb
The Tigers are off to their fourth consecutive 5-1 start under Drinkwitz, and their head coach is definitely strutting his stuff on the microphone week in and week out. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Argentina’s queen of perreo-rave has become a South American it-girl, landing buzzy domestic collaborations with Dillom and Emilia Mernes, and strutting into the international spotlight with guest spots on tracks from Shy Girl and Yeri Mua. — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
Such great and grand groups have been wasted in lesser series, but each talented actor gets to strut their stuff without disrupting the story or getting short-changed. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 Suspension is taken care of by 43-mm upside-down forks with adjustable rebound and compression damping, and an adjustable central spring strut at the rear. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strut

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English strouten, from Old English strūtian to stand out stiffly, struggle; akin to Middle High German strozzen to be swollen

First Known Use

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strut was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strut. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

strutted; strutting
1
: to walk in a stiff proud way
2
: to parade (as clothes) with a show of pride
strutter noun

strut

2 of 2 noun
1
: a bar or brace to resist pressure in the direction of its length
2
: a strutting step or walk
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