gruffly

adverb

Definition of grufflynext
1
as in brusquely

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in grimly

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gruffly Rose’s relationship with her father, too, is unusual in its unresolved jaggedness, while Sisto’s gruffly on-edge performance points to a deeper well of adult pain in Wes that his daughter cannot yet manage or comprehend. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 June 2026 Chief among the familiar faces is Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the stoic, gruffly professional explosives-disposal expert Major Will Tranter, who shows up at a construction site in the heart of London where an unexploded, 1,000-pound WWII bomb has just been found. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruffly
  1. brusquely
  2. grimly
  3. curtly
  4. firmly
  5. sharply
  6. strongly
  7. abruptly
  8. determinedly
Adverb
  • Léo’s tenderly nostalgic reminiscences of past love affairs are slapped down by Emma, who brusquely dismisses his pleasant recollections as mere male projection.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Yet, White House officials told me, Biden sometimes brusquely dismissed the views of both men, raising his voice as though berating children.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of brusquely
Adverb
  • In that film, a director famous for comedies yearns to make grimly earnest movies about the Depression, but learns that what people in dire straits crave is the distraction and release of comedy.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the images, the trio could be seen grimly surveying the debris, comforting each other by putting their arms around each other.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of grimly
Adverb
  • Juliette later makes a stop to see Shirley, who is still being unreasonably pouty about her amnesiac friend not remembering her — and is, again, curtly dismissive of Juliette’s search for Lukas.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • But Ruben curtly responds that the only real homophobe is Niall himself.
    — Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of curtly
Adverb
  • This is superbrand-level luxury, with an aesthetic firmly rooted in place and space.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • At Culebra, which opened in April below Lonesome Rose, those roots are firmly planted in Puerto Rico.
    — Amy Cavanaugh, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • Many have staked out sharply different visions for Chicago Public Schools, its billion-dollar budget and 300,0000 students.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • With buyback volume contracting sharply, this mechanical support for earnings per share wanes, requiring companies to rely on actual profit expansion to drive per share earnings higher.
    — , CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of sharply
Adverb
  • Blue light can travel farther through water and scatters more strongly from tiny airborne particles.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Hasegawa said 2025 broke that pattern, with both sides growing strongly.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • But that's not the case for VA loans, since the VA abruptly ended the program.
    — Quil Lawrence, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The chief executive of California’s High Speed Rail Authority abruptly resigned amid intensifying scrutiny over cost overruns, project delays and wasteful expenses.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of abruptly
Adverb
  • Though based on the visuals of the past, his output is determinedly contemporary.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Blue-collar Ho-seok (Sul), a man traumatized by losing his factory job after a workers’ strike, lives a quiet life with his determinedly optimistic wife, Mi-ok (Jeon).
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of determinedly

Browse Nearby Words

gruff
gruffly
gruffness
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Cite this Entry

“Gruffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruffly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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