the brunt of
idiom
: the main force or effect of (something harmful or dangerous)
Cities on the coast felt/bore the brunt of the storm.
His troops took the brunt of the enemy attack.
Examples of the brunt of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While agriculture has borne much of the brunt of tariff increases, apparel and textiles were the hardest hit among the top 10 manufacturing subsectors, with the average applied tariff rising from just over 5 percent in 2024 to 9 percent in 2025.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
As a consequence, communities near the ports — which already bear the brunt of diesel and air pollution — have been exposed to another toxic pollutant.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The head of the second train took the brunt of the impact, knocking its first two carriages off the track and sending them plummeting downing a steep slope.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Snow will start on Saturday, but the brunt of the wintry weather will be on Sunday across the state.
—Bryant Reed, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the brunt of
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.
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
As a consequence, communities near the ports — which already bear the brunt of diesel and air pollution — have been exposed to another toxic pollutant.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The head of the second train took the brunt of the impact, knocking its first two carriages off the track and sending them plummeting downing a steep slope.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Snow will start on Saturday, but the brunt of the wintry weather will be on Sunday across the state.
—Bryant Reed, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the brunt of
Cite this Entry
“The brunt of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20brunt%20of. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
