1
as in complained
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he grumbled about how sore his feet were after standing all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 grumbled
The congresswoman, her staffer and I grumbled about how unpredictable the House schedule has been lately.
—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Some soccer purists grumbled about the World Cup expanding this year from 32 to 48 teams.
—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
29 June 2026
While diehards have grumbled about the two intervals, which enable media partners to air as many as 10 in-match commercials per game, the opportunity to squeeze some extra revenue out of the FIFA mandate has been too lucrative for Fox to pass up.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
Fans grumbled and became apathetic.
—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.
—
CBS News,
18 May 2026
At a Cannes where some have grumbled about a paucity of studio movies (and thus stars), the absence of Scarlett Johansson at last night’s premiere of Paper Tiger was notable.
—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.
—
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Back then, purists grumbled that the modern reinterpretation of the British classic departed from the rough and tumble identity of Defenders past.
—
John Scott Lewinski,
Robb Report,
8 Apr. 2026
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Some soccer purists grumbled about the World Cup expanding this year from 32 to 48 teams.
—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
29 June 2026
While diehards have grumbled about the two intervals, which enable media partners to air as many as 10 in-match commercials per game, the opportunity to squeeze some extra revenue out of the FIFA mandate has been too lucrative for Fox to pass up.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
Fans grumbled and became apathetic.
—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.
—
CBS News,
18 May 2026
At a Cannes where some have grumbled about a paucity of studio movies (and thus stars), the absence of Scarlett Johansson at last night’s premiere of Paper Tiger was notable.
—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.
—
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Back then, purists grumbled that the modern reinterpretation of the British classic departed from the rough and tumble identity of Defenders past.
—
John Scott Lewinski,
Robb Report,
8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumbled
Verb
-
By early 1775, Quebec’s governor complained that this letter was stirring up the population by planting dangerous doubts about British imperial authority.
-
Smith has long complained that Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, hindered the province’s energy industry and fueled separatist sentiment.
Verb
-
Jack White, who growled and grinded as the singer/guitarist of the White Stripes and has since positioned himself as a primal rock god on his own, is showing a new side as a sculptor with a show opening in a London gallery run by none other than Damien Hirst.
-
Mira growled into her watch, excitedly.
Verb
-
Thompson screamed at the MTA worker before grabbing her and slashing on the left side of her nose, just below her eye, according to prosecutors.
-
Ghosn’s name screamed out by shareholder As Nissan executives attempted to reassure investors that the company's latest turnaround plan would restore profitability, frustration boiled over inside the meeting hall.
Verb
-
New York City horse racing rumbled to the finish line Sunday, as Aqueduct Racetrack — in all its paint-peeling, dilapidated glory — staged the venue’s last live races, transporting aging fans to a bygone era.
-
The building rumbled before the two finalists even got physical.
Verb
-
Traffic hummed and whined on I-85.
-
Second, in a report of their own, the pro-business commissioners whined that all of this was unfair.
Verb
-
In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.
-
As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.
Verb
-
Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
-
Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
Cite this Entry
“Grumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumbled. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
