strut

1 of 3

verb (1)

strutted; strutting

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
struttingly adverb

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
Phrases
strut one's stuff
: to display one's best work : show off

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
She was also captured dancing and strutting for the camera. Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 15 May 2025 Ten-foot-tall elephant birds strutted across Madagascar until a thousand years ago. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
Noun
To set up, the user simply raises the roof manually with help from the integrated struts, slides the sleeper panel out over the side of the van and installs the two awning poles. New Atlas, 5 May 2025 Our current boat uses an axial flux motor on top of the T foil that drives the struts down to a gearbox, which goes out to a prop. James Morris, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025 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 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

strut

1 of 2 verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on strut

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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