Synonym Chooser

How is the word crusty distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of crusty are bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, and gruff. While all these words mean "abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner," crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

Where would bluff be a reasonable alternative to crusty?

The synonyms bluff and crusty are sometimes interchangeable, but bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

When can blunt be used instead of crusty?

While the synonyms blunt and crusty are close in meaning, blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

When might brusque be a better fit than crusty?

The words brusque and crusty can be used in similar contexts, but brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

When could curt be used to replace crusty?

While in some cases nearly identical to crusty, curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

When is gruff a more appropriate choice than crusty?

Although the words gruff and crusty have much in common, gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of crusty Great served over mashed potatoes or on crusty rolls topped with some melty cheese! Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025 And then a few Tech fans come along this weekend with their old, crusty roller brush and slung it all over the place, Jackson Pollock-style, only this isn’t a work of art. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025 His pre-teen son in tow, Luis joins up with a crusty group of dancers who are heading to a secret party in the heart of the desert, where the beats will be loud enough to drown out the sounds of the apocalyptic war that’s brewing around them. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025 Clean your grimy phone If your devices become sticky, crusty or crumb-infested, Ek said to wipe them down with a clean, dry cloth, followed by a disinfectant wipe. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crusty
Adjective
  • The right’s defense is equally blunt.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Hosts often want to hint that the evening is wrapping up without being blunt.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Patterson was hired in a guest role as the gruff diner owner with a heart of gold, Luke Danes.
    Anika Reed, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Burr plays a gruff American record-store owner who convinces a ragtag gang of teenage misfits that their best, and possibly only, chance to lose their virginity before graduating high school is at a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • While some of these chains have faced ongoing issues, others are experiencing abrupt downturns after enjoying recent periods of strength — with no turnaround in sight.
    Rob Wile, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Nearly 7 million people on Medicare use telehealth services every year to see their doctors, but the federal shutdown put an abrupt halt on payments covering those services.
    Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Pierre was short, with a white beard and flamboyant wild hair.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • These bacteria ferment or break down prebiotics, releasing compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Others were more curt, saying that the speech is nothing but hot air.
    Al Weaver, The Hill, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Less than a day later, a curt follow-up email landed in many of their inboxes informing them that they weren’t being let go after all.
    Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Farrell, by contrast, plays a brusque, dim henchman named Alec, who’s there mostly to look tough and briefly talk about Star Wars.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Cumdumpster, by contrast, was brusque, peremptory, and stingy with his scores, as if I’d been put on earth to curate pornography for him.
    Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Her love life, like her work life, according to her most outspoken friend, Littia (singer Inayah), is in shambles, and an invitation to spend the holidays with love interest Colton (Aaron O’Connell) challenges her perspectives on romance.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The pair will face the immediate challenge of addressing the controversy over politics that has roiled the firm, at a time when many Silicon Valley venture firms are becoming increasingly outspoken on hot-button political and culture-war issues.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Funding one would be a challenge, two a downright stretch.
    GREG BOROWSKI, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Once the flames come roaring into town, however, Kevin will be the only one in a position to drive a busload of elementary-schoolers, along with their teacher, Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera), through the downright biblical flames and out to safety.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crusty. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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