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
  • The flooding in Nepal is yet another calamity for a country grimly accustomed to crisis and upheaval.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Gun purchases made in response to events have been shown, grimly, to lead to still more accidental gun deaths.
    — Vishal R. Patel, Time, 9 Aug. 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
  • The index has lost almost 40% since its June high and is firmly entrenched in bear market.
    — Justina Lee,Sean Conlon, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The reality is the situation in Nashville couldn't possibly be any worse, with the franchise firmly sitting at rock bottom.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • The production stalled in 1964 when the couple separated, and Kumari’s health declined sharply over the following years.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Inflation dropped sharply, deposits flowed back into the banking system, and the economy switched from negative to positive growth with a surge in exports leading the way.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sharply
Adverb
  • Near the epicenter, the agency estimated an intensity of VIII, classified as severe on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, which measures how strongly the ground shakes at individual locations.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This endeavor is not easy, and these companies are strongly advocating for abolishing the leap second.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • Kerry McCoy’s guitar juices up a mid-song gallop by abruptly pivoting from big and noisy to compressed and snarling; at the climax, everything cuts out for a second to spotlight a Daniel Tracy drum fill.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The first preview opens with an innocent domestic exchange between a mother and daughter that abruptly transforms into something strikingly disturbing.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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