1
as in brusquely
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2
as in grimly
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Recent Examples of gruffly
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
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruffly
Adverb
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In some instances, judges brusquely threw cases out of court after prosecutors walked in with little evidence.—
Brian Rokos,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
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The veil having been brusquely lifted from his eyes, Blair eventually left the service.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The Olsen kiddos trying to close their front door to keep the sharks out is just as well-shot and grimly hilarious as Lisa readying to give birth as the floodwaters rise.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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Innocence isn’t even about the recent past; statistically speaking, the grimly familiar scenes of mayhem might take place somewhere next week.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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But Ruben curtly responds that the only real homophobe is Niall himself.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2026
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The Yangs were called in and curtly told the judgment was being overturned, their lawsuit dismissed without trial.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Rick is tightly scheduled, punctilious to a fault, endowed with verbal wit that gently but firmly shapes and smooths social interactions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
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But what might seem like a fleeting trend is firmly rooted in longheld culture, integrated into people’s routines and wellness practices for centuries.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
Adverb
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The steep walls of the Stikine canyon dropped sharply below us, revealing a boiling, twisting, narrow river.—
Anton Money,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
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The three gubernatorial front-runners for California governor offer sharply different futures for state workforce.—
Ruyuan Li. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Adverb
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Assuming, of course, those staffers don’t emulate Pelley and strongly and sharply disagree or challenge their boss in an internal staff meeting.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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So why did this fairy tale speak to me so strongly?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adverb
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Sturgeon led the Scottish government for almost a decade but abruptly resigned as first minister in February 2023.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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Nonetheless, a strong breeze threatens that window to shut abruptly.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adverb
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The few street names in Happy Haven were determinedly upbeat, with Christian undertones.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
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Wall Street has been determinedly upbeat about the war in Iran resolving in a relatively short window.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gruffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruffly. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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