GRUFFLY Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

gruffly

adverb

Definition of gruffly

as in brusquely

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

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

Adverb

Citadel executives brusquely dismiss the idea that anything shady is going on.

— Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
In some instances, judges brusquely threw cases out of court after prosecutors walked in with little evidence.

— Brian Rokos, Daily News, 7 May 2026

Definition of brusquely

Adverb

Tuchel’s approach might, at least, be grimly appropriate for a tournament whose organizers would surely like everyone to focus on the action, and ignore the stench of corruption and xenophobia in the air.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
For her part, Gianina is just trying to stow away enough earnings to support her daughter, Maria (Sofia Dragoman), who lives with her grandmother (Liliana Ghita) in a grimly anonymous village in the countryside, and to save for an anticipated Christmas reunion in Romania.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 11 June 2026

Definition of grimly

Adverb

His Hammness does show up, tongue planted firmly in his photogenic cheek, and reminds you that nobody does handsome-guy self-mockery better than Jon Hamm.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026
Working with sections about 2 inches wide, wrap the hair firmly around a silk heatless curling ribbon, directing the hair away from the face.

— Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 8 July 2026

Definition of firmly

Adverb

Georgia, after establishing herself as a non-hands-washer last year (and doubling down over and over again), decided to sharply pivot to become a maven of cleanliness.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 July 2026
Each path promises the same payoff, consistent cold-water immersion for recovery, stress management and mental resilience, but the setup costs, maintenance demands and daily user experience diverge sharply.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026

Definition of sharply

Adverb

Even with global unemployment at historically low levels, fewer than one in four workers strongly believe their job is safe from being eliminated, according to ADP Research.

— Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
The difference between these two measurements gives the exciton binding energy, a key quantity that determines how strongly the electron and hole remain bound together.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026

Definition of strongly

Adverb

Trump was expected to sign the housing bill at Capitol Hill during a ceremony in June, but abruptly canceled in protest over the Senate’s inaction in passing his election legislation, the SAVE America Act.

— Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2026
Flores lost his ability to make phone calls, after his PIN was abruptly suspended.

— Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Definition of abruptly

Browse Nearby Words

gruff

gruffly

gruffness

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“Gruffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruffly. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of gruffly

adverb

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