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
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Volkswagen’s profit-making prospects are on the mend and there’s a grudging positivity among investors who have lived through a few false dawns over the years.
—Neil Winton, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
But a key reason the sanctions were so successful—winning grudging acceptance even from the likes of China, India, and Russia—was that Obama expressly deemed them a means to an end.
—Edward Fishman, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2025
Over the holidays, the platform was abuzz with bad news, delivered by the grudging C.E.O.s of Me Inc.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Adjective
Thanks to months of groundwork by Sheinbaum and her economic team, Mexico emerged with preferential treatment—confounding skeptics and earning grudging respect from the famously unpredictable U.S. president.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Volkswagen’s profit-making prospects are on the mend and there’s a grudging positivity among investors who have lived through a few false dawns over the years.
—Neil Winton, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
But a key reason the sanctions were so successful—winning grudging acceptance even from the likes of China, India, and Russia—was that Obama expressly deemed them a means to an end.
—Edward Fishman, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2025
Over the holidays, the platform was abuzz with bad news, delivered by the grudging C.E.O.s of Me Inc.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grudging
Adjective
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Be careful not to let in too much moisture to avoid any mildew or mold developing on your mattress.—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Yet Schlossberg is careful to note that May did not shadow-direct the movie during production.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What remained unclear is how much of a lasting boost China’s economy could get from the ingenuity of one start-up, or how much confidence the business community could derive from the sudden friendliness of a leader who has a reputation for distrusting and disliking the private sector.—
Li Yuan,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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And if casually disliking January wasn't enough, 13% of Americans reported hating it.—
Greta Cross,
USA TODAY,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
The administrative burden alone makes the model less economical, not to mention the actual tariffs now due.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The dress cost $460, quite an economical choice in these trying times, considering wedding dresses typically go for up to tens of thousands.—
Aamina Inayat Khan,
StyleCaster,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His approach, on and off the pitch, has had a transformative effect and as Palace seek to secure him on a new contract, there have been covetous glances cast in his direction from clubs in the German Bundesliga.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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For a very long time, other nations have been sizing up California with a covetous eye.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s in part thanks to a close collaboration between Stein and Weinstein.—
Leah Abrams,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The new Charlotte Knights’ manager pitched for four MLB teams from 2010 to 2015, recording 30 saves as the closer for the Chicago White Sox in 2011.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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However, the pair were convicted of improperly withholding $94 million of that settlement from 440 plaintiffs.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
23 Dec. 2024
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Only four of the eight Ivy League schools released information about their early admissions this year, as Harvard joined UPenn, Princeton, and Cornell in withholding the majority of their admissions data until the conclusion of this year's admissions season.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Smart or not, the deal also opened a rift between Bieber and Braun, with the former said to be resentful of the latter’s ballooning wealth.—
Shirley Halperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2025
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In the book, Hoppus, 53, details years of rising tensions that ultimately led DeLonge to become distant and resentful.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grudging. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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