1
as in brusquely
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2
as in grimly
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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
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
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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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At the same time, the resolution calls for humane immigration policies that uphold justice and mercy, strongly rejecting nativism, discrimination and racial or ethnic hostility.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Unfortunately, there isn’t an aspect of the finale that strongly references the Carolinas setting.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
Adverb
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Last week, Pacifica residents were shocked when the city abruptly closed its iconic pier after cracks developed in its base.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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The order from Phelan, who abruptly departed his post in April, said the board should consider an officer’s performance, competence and character, among other traits, as part of those qualifications.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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