1
as in filthy
not clean
clean off those grubby hands before you touch anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grubby
The groundhog uses his grubby paws and wide-eyed animal optimism to wake that which blooms: green leaves, pink flowers, light jackets.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Now, the world is essentially the puppet of the A.I. big bad known as The Entity, which has gotten its grubby digital claws into the global psyche as well as most of the world’s nuclear arsenals.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
Meanwhile, in the grubby streets of Buffalo (hey, what did Buffalo do to deserve this!), Simone’s older sister Devon is getting home one morning after her second DUI.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
But watching a group of roughnecks on a rig in grubby overalls moving huge, long steel pipes, Dugan's smile begins to fade to a smirk.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grubby
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Now, the world is essentially the puppet of the A.I. big bad known as The Entity, which has gotten its grubby digital claws into the global psyche as well as most of the world’s nuclear arsenals.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
Meanwhile, in the grubby streets of Buffalo (hey, what did Buffalo do to deserve this!), Simone’s older sister Devon is getting home one morning after her second DUI.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
But watching a group of roughnecks on a rig in grubby overalls moving huge, long steel pipes, Dugan's smile begins to fade to a smirk.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grubby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grubby
Adjective
-
Unitree claims that the G1 is made to handle difficult, filthy, and repetitive jobs in a variety of settings, including at homes, factories, and hospitals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Josh O’Connor, at his filthy best, plays a disillusioned ’70s suburban dad married to Alana Haim and vaguely fathering a pair of pathologically chatty sons as the Vietnam War and its attendant protests color the world around them.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
During their stay, according to family members and personal notes, the stepdaughter, by then 14, walked in on Errol in her room allegedly sniffing her dirty underwear.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Remy handled the second verse on the song and wasted no time getting down and dirty.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Glitter’s dusty shadow, fading into the lower part of the brow bone, brought out the moody hue on the lips.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The men walked out of the pub and headed up the dusty road to the cowshed.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wahlberg plays a holy fool in Boogie Nights, our naïve but well-endowed guide through the heyday of theatrical pornography and its decline into something cheaper and tawdrier courtesy of the triumph of VHS.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
It’s been used to import cheap foreign labor at the expense of Americans.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wood stained baseboards may need a gentler cleaning approach, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap, to protect the finish.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Most of the restaurant's decor is bright Coca Cola red, from stained glass lamps to old-school pinup posters, all with the Coca Cola logo.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Another main issue is that the power grind itself now being the endgame is no longer a good motivator to play, nor is the Tier system with 3s not much different than 4s or 5s, and all past weapons being somewhat lame now outside of that system entirely.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Paine proposed a lump sum payment of £15 (£2,306 in 2025) to everyone reaching the age of twenty-one and a £10 (£1,537 in 2025) annual pension for the blind and lame, as well as for those fifty and older.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Sewell did a lot to rescue quarterback Jared Goff’s career and transform the pitiful Lions into annual Super Bowl contenders.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grubby. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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