1
as in filthy
not clean
clean off those grubby hands before you touch anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dirty
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a grubby reason to stop talking to a friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 grubby
With a few strokes of JFK’s pen, the NFL was effectively granted an exemption to the Sherman Antitrust Act and college football could rest easy knowing that the pros wouldn’t be allowed to get their grubby meat hooks on Saturdays in autumn.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Continue reading … ROYAL RIFT – King Charles haunted by Prince Andrew as 'grubby' duke humiliates monarchy again.
—Fox News, 18 Dec. 2024
Players use spellbook-style molds to make little grubby monster pieces to fight against each other in the game.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
For many attorneys, the episode encapsulates a lamentable shift in their roles, in which a profession that once embraced the lofty obligation to do good for society has degraded into another grubby enterprise focussed on profits.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grubby
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Continue reading … ROYAL RIFT – King Charles haunted by Prince Andrew as 'grubby' duke humiliates monarchy again.
—Fox News, 18 Dec. 2024
Players use spellbook-style molds to make little grubby monster pieces to fight against each other in the game.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
For many attorneys, the episode encapsulates a lamentable shift in their roles, in which a profession that once embraced the lofty obligation to do good for society has degraded into another grubby enterprise focussed on profits.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grubby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grubby
Adjective
-
Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Tom Hardy stars in the neo-noir crime thriller as a corrupt detective named Walker, who shoots, punches, and drop-kicks his way through an entire criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of dirty politician Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker).—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
But as stated, not every relationship that has an age difference regarding an older man and a younger woman involves a dirty old fart looking to wrangle a naive young woman.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Seen from there, the sandstone pylons of Luxor’s temple rose to an open sky, eternally patient in the dusty, pearlescent light.—
Chris Wallace,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Down a dusty street in Jereif West, Fatima Bahlawi, 20 months old, lay wailing in her mother’s arms, waving limbs that were thin as sticks.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
With police turning a blind eye, Portland became a honeypot for local and out-of-state addicts to score cheap dope and use it freely.—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Some cheaper tags don’t have a replaceable battery although some have rechargeable cells.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
-
There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
-
Look, everyone points to injuries as the reason for the pitiful performance so far this season, but a lot of teams are dealing with injuries.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2025
-
So many of the latter comes thanks to Niecy Nash’s Nurse DiDi, who seems to take the time to see her patients as worthwhile much more often than her cohorts, the self-important Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and pitiful nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein).—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The two groups meet on a muddy basketball court, and fight.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
-
She’s worn her pair over muddy trails, through waterfalls, and more.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grubby. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share