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
  • 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
  • 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
  • In the wake of the disaster, the survivors' roles are reversed in grimly funny ways.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026
  • 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
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
  • That puts Alaska, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and parts of New York firmly in play, with the deepest views in Fairbanks, Alaska, and northern Maine.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The company hopes that this will help move the longtime model firmly into even more luxurious territory.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • As the gunfire was heard, the drone appeared to veer sharply before diving toward the beach.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Polling shows that many younger voters, especially independents, progressive Democrats and some Republicans, have turned sharply against Israel in recent years amid widespread debate over Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sharply
Adverb
  • Even when the material was strongly disturbed, the electronic order rebuilt itself smoothly across the sample.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Its themes of environmental fragility, social inequality, labour and belonging resonate strongly with the identity of our region.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • The pursuit kept going past Cline Avenue before the Kia abruptly exited onto the Kennedy Avenue exit ramp, state police said.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The mall closed in January 2015, except for Carson Pirie Scott, which shut its doors abruptly in March 2018.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of abruptly
Adverb
  • Poor Frank and Kirsten look on confused, determinedly polite in their insistence that all family members should be welcome.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • The few street names in Happy Haven were determinedly upbeat, with Christian undertones.
    — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 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 13 Aug. 2026.

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