as in careful
said, done, or given in an unwilling or doubtful way
Her theories have begun to win grudging acceptance in the scientific community. He has earned the grudging admiration/respect of his rivals.
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Recent Examples of grudging
Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Looking back eight decades later, Truman's decision deserves not condemnation but a tragic and grudging gratitude.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
James was crowned James II with the grudging consent of Parliament.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2025
Chelsea Pitch Owners would never sign off on relocating to north London but within Chelsea there is plenty of grudging admiration for Daniel Levy’s success in delivering what some regard as the finest, most modern club arena in Europe.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Adjective
Bondi, in a memorandum also signed by Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, blended grudging compliance with open disrespect.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Looking back eight decades later, Truman's decision deserves not condemnation but a tragic and grudging gratitude.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
James was crowned James II with the grudging consent of Parliament.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2025
Chelsea Pitch Owners would never sign off on relocating to north London but within Chelsea there is plenty of grudging admiration for Daniel Levy’s success in delivering what some regard as the finest, most modern club arena in Europe.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grudging
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As with any sauce, be careful not to over-reduce.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While the fans are always squabbling, the idea of two teams of professional athletes, not to mention coaches, actually disliking each other has become rarer.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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He is also known for disliking repeats of his shows being played too often – another potential reason why Phoenix Nights remains hard to track down despite its enduring popularity.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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And Villanelle has very begrudging respect for this woman.—
Dan Snierson,
EW.com,
13 Apr. 2020
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Philadelphia needs its rookie quarterback, Carson Wentz, to post 300 passing yards for a third consecutive week, because there is no running the ball against the Ravens, who have the most begrudging ground defense in the league.—
DAVID WHITE,
New York Times,
16 Dec. 2016
Verb
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Providing additional comic and vocal support were Craig Colclough as the scheming Don Basilio, Tasha Hoduao Koontz as Bartolo’s disapproving maid Berta and Joseph Calzada as Fiorello.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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After House Democrats revealed plans to force votes disapproving of the president’s Canada tariffs as soon as this week, GOP leaders sought to resuscitate their year-long procedural blockade that keeps those resolutions off the floor.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The new tunnel should also be economical, without expensive and unneeded bench walls.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This retro classic had its heyday in the ’50s and ’60s as an economical casserole, often built around leftover chicken and a can of mushroom soup.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Most of the time, a child who is shoving at the playground or refusing to take turns with the blocks at daycare is just testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Clintons agreed to testify later this month after initially refusing and facing a potential contempt vote.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
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This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Another category that would likely unnerve boards of directors, according to Minow, is close ties with Epstein following his controversial 2008 guilty plea to procuring a minor for prostitution.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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With Jackson’s death Tuesday, leaders across the region reflected on a legacy that helped shape a generation of local activism and public service — none more so than Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, a close friend for more than five decades.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grudging. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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