1
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
the store manager always asked the brawniest person there to do the heavy lifting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sinewy
marked by a well-developed musculature
brawny arms that weren't developed in the gym but by years of work in the construction business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a tough little boy who's going to be a brawny man someday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brawny
On Saturday, the brawny colt will be the only horse in the Class of 2025 who will have run in all three races.
—
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
By Emily Saladino and Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors
June 18, 2025
The best steak salad recipes transform seemingly disparate elements—crisp greens, brawny beef—into cohesive, craveable dishes.
—Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2025
The brawny Yankees lead the American League in runs scored, with 135 more than the Royals, and are pacing the majors in home runs, with 108 — more than double the MLB-low 46 mustered by the Royals.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2025
He’s only gotten brawnier since, and the version of Courtney seen here could have swallowed such a bouncer in one bite.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
By Emily Saladino and Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors
June 18, 2025
The best steak salad recipes transform seemingly disparate elements—crisp greens, brawny beef—into cohesive, craveable dishes.
—Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2025
The brawny Yankees lead the American League in runs scored, with 135 more than the Royals, and are pacing the majors in home runs, with 108 — more than double the MLB-low 46 mustered by the Royals.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2025
He’s only gotten brawnier since, and the version of Courtney seen here could have swallowed such a bouncer in one bite.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawny
Adjective
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Meanwhile, defender Tosin Adarabioyo is available to return from injury but Romeo Lavia (muscular) and Benoit Badiashile (leg) are still sidelined.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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Use slow and controlled movements, and perform to muscular failure before switching sides.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sacramento State had planned to increase its student fee from $181 to $256 per student by the 2027-28 school year and use the money to update the school’s athletic facilities, including for a new football stadium.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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College athletic departments often face a first-mover dilemma, and MásLabor is encountering that same hesitation, compounded, Floyd says, by institutional incentives to maintain the status quo.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Google has also begun rolling out two powerful filters for album searches.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Spanning 10 years of work, this international co-production explores utopia, decolonization and love with a unique visual language—bridging past and present in a powerful meditation on liberation and legacy.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2025 Subaru Outback is an adventure-ready SUV Subaru's SUV models like the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback are known for their rugged exteriors and off-roading potential.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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Fleece merges a rugged sophistication with everyday staples.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As previously hinted, fans of the original series know which of Ellen’s brothers emerges victorious: burly Dougal (Sam Retford) or clever, crippled Colum (a superb Séamus McLean Ross).—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
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There’s not a lot that should make a big, bearded, burly NHL defenseman nervous.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The definition of small but mighty, these tiny little seeds will introduce an impressive fiber punch into any salad, smoothie, breakfast bowl, or chia pudding—to the tune of around four grams per tablespoon, to be specific.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
20 Aug. 2025
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Iggy and Stooges were already part of the punk fabric of New York City, and became ubiquitous at CBGB, fueling the fury of flourishing bands like The Ramones and Blondie who rose to prominence on the small but mighty stage.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Kevin Rathbun Steak One of Atlanta’s most respected chefs, Kevin Rathbun has a beefy reputation as a steak-master.—
Mike Jordan,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
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Though beefy humanoids like Boston Dynamics’ Atlas have been able to perform terrifyingly impressive feats of acrobatics for the better part of a decade, many of those feats were scripted and the result of meticulous coding and fine-tuning by human engineers.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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