as in laborers
a person who does very hard or dull work
you may have to spend some time working as a grub before challenging work comes your way
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in labors
to devote serious and sustained effort
grubbing away at the yard work before the first snow of the season
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of grubs
Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Adult beetles skeletonize foliage, while their larvae, known as grubs, feed on grass roots, resulting in brown patches and dying lawns.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 June 2026
In spring and summer, the abundance of beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and grubs provide a high protein source of food for skunks.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
Ants will swarm plants that are infested with spider mites, cabbage loopers, root maggots, beetle grubs, scale, mealybugs, ticks, or other pests that ants feed on.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
If the holes appear shallow, then they could be made by squirrels, looking for places to store nuts, or by skunks and raccoons, digging for grubs.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Noun
Jiminy's grain-free cookies for dogs are made with crickets and grubs.
—Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Adult beetles skeletonize foliage, while their larvae, known as grubs, feed on grass roots, resulting in brown patches and dying lawns.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 June 2026
In spring and summer, the abundance of beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and grubs provide a high protein source of food for skunks.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
Ants will swarm plants that are infested with spider mites, cabbage loopers, root maggots, beetle grubs, scale, mealybugs, ticks, or other pests that ants feed on.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
If the holes appear shallow, then they could be made by squirrels, looking for places to store nuts, or by skunks and raccoons, digging for grubs.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grubs
Noun
-
As recounted by Peter Biskind in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, Cimino ran long and went over budget on his epic drama about the Johnson County War, which saw cattle barons attacking immigrant laborers in late 19th-century Wyoming.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
Men dressed in laborers’ rags responded with a triple roar for His Majesty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Courts are also deciding lawsuits over whether workers were illegally fired in retaliation for doing their jobs under previous administrations.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
Much of his business relies on workers from India, which is home to 73% of H-1B visa holders, according to 2023 numbers from the Pew Research Center.—
Shanelle Kaul,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The introvert who generates extraordinary individual insight but struggles to inspire large groups gets an extroverted deputy to do the rallying.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
When Little John struggles to describe his dream girl, Robin instructs his protegee to sketch an image with words.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
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New legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of senators strives to add new aircraft to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter fleet and codify the agency’s role in meteorological research.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
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In a world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus, bio-hacked tech bros, AI labs and disillusioned teens being optimized in elite private schools, an audacious data-mining CEO (Billy Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
That’s not how the numbering system works.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
The six-minute quasi-title track works as a centerpiece, its compressed qanun (a stringed Middle Eastern instrument, played here by the acclaimed Syrian musician Maya Youssef) looping in the background as electronic pulses, foreboding pianos, and disembodied voices swirl around the mix.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Things are equally akilter in his family’s home, with his mother now sitting on the couch watching TV while his father slaves away in the kitchen.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Grubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grubs. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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