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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
At Flanders, the peloton’s big and brawny racers like Flemish hero Wout van Aert or Dutch racer Mathieu van der Poel get to shine.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025
With teammate Mikal Bridges tagging smaller facilitators, Anunoby takes the brawnier ones.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
The 331-mile trail in Kiso Valley provides respite with its brawny cedar and cypress trees but also serves a functional purpose.
—Haley Harrison, AFAR Media, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether that brawny youth can bring that sort of unbridled thinking under real-race weights, in real tack, against real, experienced racehorses that have won multiple stakes remains to be seen.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025
With teammate Mikal Bridges tagging smaller facilitators, Anunoby takes the brawnier ones.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
The 331-mile trail in Kiso Valley provides respite with its brawny cedar and cypress trees but also serves a functional purpose.
—Haley Harrison, AFAR Media, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether that brawny youth can bring that sort of unbridled thinking under real-race weights, in real tack, against real, experienced racehorses that have won multiple stakes remains to be seen.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawny
Adjective
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Leading clinicians are combining pharmacologic tools with root-cause strategies, starting with metabolic health, hormone balance, nervous system regulation and muscular integrity.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Speaking to reporters at an event in Tampa, DeSantis touted the state’s muscular approach to immigration enforcement and its willingness to help President Trump’s administration meet its goal of more than doubling its existing 41,000 beds for detaining migrants to at least 100,000 beds.—
Kate Payne,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The authority lies with the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, who make up the CFP management committee.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
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Barry graduated from UConn in 1954, and worked 31 years in the athletic department, beginning as a ticket manager and working his way up to assistant athletic director in 1970, and associate athletic director for operations in 1983.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
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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
Adjective
-
The impact of this powerful novel is heightened by Golden Voice narrator Nicholas Boulton’s keen understanding of its author’s purposes.—
AudioFile Magazine
June 27,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
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This collection is a powerful vindication for those of us who have been wearing shorts almost all through the fashion weeks this season.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
A lot of my book is about unlearning the tenets of American work culture, that rugged individualism often translates to just being plain old lonely.—
Maris Kreizman
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
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Trent Frederic is another player who brings a rugged style to the game and can play all three forward positions.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The palenque circuit is de rigueur for Mexican artists, even a superstar like León — a burly man who tonight looks even bigger thanks to his ever-present high-crown cowboy hat.—
Leila Cobo,
Billboard,
12 June 2025
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Two months ago, the world lost a gruff and burly guitar player named Al Barile.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Even the mighty Premier League has had to throw in more content, spread out over the weekend, to get the same amount of money from its domestic partners.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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The mighty men of Metallica — vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — seemed absolutely thrilled to be back home and rocking out in front of 55,000-plus local fans.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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These hefty meatloaf sandwiches are juicy, very beefy, and crowned with a sweet ketchup glaze.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
10 June 2025
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This is a beefy AI workstation with an Nvidia GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip, cramming server-grade Grace Blackwell hardware into a single motherboard.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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