as in sternness
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Recent Examples of gruffness
Mackay and Turner are both excellent, two movie stars who seem totally game to be asked to move with real gruffness.
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Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruffness
Noun
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Depending on the severity of Jackson's injury and the struggles of Rush, the Ravens may need to do something similar to bring in a backup that can string together wins while Lamar heals.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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People charged with a crime in Indiana are randomly assigned to judges depending on the severity of the charge, and the initial judge's courtroom doesn't handle major felonies.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The harshness of the language and the raw politicking shocked voters.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
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The bass doesn’t overpower vocals, and the treble avoids harshness.—
Prakhar Khanna,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That would basically say that he wouldn't have been prosecuted if not for the president's hostility toward him.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
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Two-thirds of Israelis want an end to the war in Gaza—an increase of 13 percentage points from a year ago—according to a poll that found the fate of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the main reason for a desire for hostilities to end.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Dudamel and the orchestra delivered the score with absolute conviction and an almost punishing vehemence.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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Their pro-human vehemence was evident in every quote and frame.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That’s how Finnie put himself on the map, playing with relentlessness on the forecheck while delivering some offense, too.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Bregman’s Astros were always defined by their tenacity and relentlessness, qualities this year’s Red Sox showed plenty of on Friday night.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gruffness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruffness. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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