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
India Standard Time) atop a GSLV Mk II, one of India's brawniest rockets.
—
Mike Wall, Space.com, 30 July 2025
But this muscular ballad – with lyrics from Motorhead’s Lemmy – offers a gorgeous melody that doesn’t prevent the song from building into enough of a brawny rocker to appease his longtime fans.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 July 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
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Mike Wall, Space.com, 30 July 2025
But this muscular ballad – with lyrics from Motorhead’s Lemmy – offers a gorgeous melody that doesn’t prevent the song from building into enough of a brawny rocker to appease his longtime fans.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 July 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
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawny
Adjective
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The same can be said of Mescal, who’s already parlayed playing men of muscular physique and melancholy dispositions into above-the-title movie stardom.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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The prose is ecstatic and freaky and muscular.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But her athletic triumph was tragically dampened by years of abuse at the hands of her husband and coach Jim Martin, who in 2010 attempted to murder her, stabbing her many times, slicing the flesh off the bone from her leg, and shooting her.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
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On social media, Marquette announced that all athletic events for the weekend would be canceled, and a special mass for the school community was held on Saturday afternoon.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Reese wants to skip through the rebuilding process, but doing so has already put Chicago in a position in which building a stronger talent base is going to be much more difficult.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Speaking to the crowd before the march, Eve Devitt, an Idaho human rights activist, said that LGBTQ+ history is built on fighting for rights, which makes the community stronger.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At each camp, the team leaves behind a small but powerful item, a red card that explains what to do during encounters with immigration officials.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Marswalker has rugged wheels in each corner for gripping the steps, as well as a long antenna to sense angles and heights.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Sep. 2025
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The two largest rams were lying down, seemingly enjoying their cuds and the panorama of Bear Canyon and the rugged San Andres Mountains that stretched beyond them.—
Tim Kelly,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, a burly butcher called Mihály (Grégory Gadebois) shows up at their door, claiming to be Andor’s father.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
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However, Pac wanted the original that Suge rocked around his burly neck.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But signing leading players from Forest, Villa, Brentford, Stuttgart and the mighty Milan in one transfer window looks pretty significant, too.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon, Portugal’s coastal capital, is built across seven mighty hills that tumble toward the Tagus River.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pale, skinny women in punkish black mingled comfortably with beefy men in rugged work clothes.—
Tamar Jacoby,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Each of the new classrooms maintains the roof heights of the earlier structures, and the configuration of the windows is identical, although the new units are a bit beefier to include energy-efficient double glazing with thermal breaks that the originals lacked.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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