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
In Spielberg’s hands, Jaws was a lot more than a terrifying great white shark; the characters of Quint, Hooper and Brody are indelible, their grudging camaraderie bolstered by the film’s centerpiece: the chilling tale of the USS Indianapolis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 20 May 2025
Among his old Mount Vernon crew, there is a grudging acceptance of their diminished role in the legend.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 30 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
In Spielberg’s hands, Jaws was a lot more than a terrifying great white shark; the characters of Quint, Hooper and Brody are indelible, their grudging camaraderie bolstered by the film’s centerpiece: the chilling tale of the USS Indianapolis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 20 May 2025
Among his old Mount Vernon crew, there is a grudging acceptance of their diminished role in the legend.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 30 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,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Step by careful step, Holbrook climbed, holding out bologna and cheese until two pairs of cautious eyes peeked back.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Clearly, the Times cannot be punished either for disliking him or for trying to defeat him.—
Stephen L. Carter,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Clearly, the Times cannot be punished either for disliking him or for trying to defeat him.—
Stephen L. Carter,
Twin Cities,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And Villanelle has very begrudging respect for this woman.—
Dan Snierson,
EW.com,
13 Apr. 2020
-
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
-
Independents are more split, with 43 percent approving and 38 percent disapproving.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The poll also found 52% of all voters disapproving of his handling of immigration, including 75% of Hispanic voters.—
Benjamin Siegel,
ABC News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Believe it or not, traveling by bus is a comfortable, economical, and reliable way to get around in Brazil.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
As space transport comes down in price, the team believes the idea could become economical by 2035.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Wisconsin faithful stayed put, drenched and delirious, as if refusing to let the night slip away like so many before it.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In the meantime, the day-to-day work is on us—looking at our money honestly, making strategic moves, and refusing to let an unfair system keep us from building something better for ourselves and the next generation.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
This was a decisive turn away from Hasina’s India-first posture and toward closer alignment with Beijing.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Highly acidic foods like pickles and tomatoes will react with the can after an extended period of time, causing both taste and texture changes so pay particularly close attention to expiration dates on these items.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grudging. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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