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
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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Strength training can break you out of that state by building muscular support around joints, correcting imbalances and improving overall stability.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
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City were also without Phil Foden, Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol before the international break, while John Stones withdrew from the England squad due to a muscular injury.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For those obsessed with specs charts, yes, Maybach SL 680 is a slower out of the blocks than the highly athletic AMG SL 63.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The focus is on TV shows, movies and digital content that tell the personal stories of athletes, the emotional stakes of competition and striving for athletic excellence.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The audio-streaming platform has amassed a sizable free cash flow due to its strong revenue growth, a figure that has been boosted by the company's swelling active user base in recent financial quarters.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But Karl Maybach’s greatest contribution to the wonders of European civilization were his enormously powerful diesel engines that gave birth to the very first high-speed trains of Europe, emphatically putting steam trains out of business.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Why spend hundreds on new hardware when one of the cheapest, most powerful PC upgrades of the year costs less than a Cava bowl?—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fighting off predators, fending for food, and living in rugged terrain with harsh conditions – this was not a means of living for the weak.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Limited access and steep rugged terrain will continue to hamper suppression.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Outside Beijing’s leadership compound, burly men in black tackled Yang’s mother to the ground.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Only a band as mighty as the Jonas Brothers would be able to reunite Fifth Harmony.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
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David Gilmour’s 2024 Luck and Strange Concerts tour was definitely one of the most memorable classic rock treks of recent years, showcasing one of the greatest guitarists of all time performing from both the Pink Floyd songbook and his own mighty solo catalog.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With all of the appeal of a hiking boot in a smaller, lighter form factor, these Danner Trail 2650s pay homage to their beefier boot predecessors, just with some additional modern touches.—
Alice Bennett,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Sep. 2025
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The Ultra 3, as always, has the beefiest wireless toolkit.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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