1
as in complained
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he grumbled about how sore his feet were after standing all day
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Recent Examples of grumbled
The 59-year-old grumbled that gladhanding throngs of supporters in dusty villages had left him prey to bugs and viruses.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Legislators often grumbled about being squeezed by Newsom, but felt compelled — not always but most of the time — to go along.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Legislators often grumbled about being squeezed by Newsom, but felt compelled — not always but most of the time — to go along.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Last month, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, grumbled on X that her follower count was not growing.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 16 Jan. 2026
Worshippers show up a half hour early to claim seats, and some longtime congregants have grumbled about the intern influx.
—Tara Palmeri, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Trump in remarks before a House Republican retreat in Washington grumbled that Democrats were not giving him credit for a successful military operation, even though there was bipartisan agreement that Maduro was not the rightful president of Venezuela.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Several hard-line conservatives and fiscal hawks had grumbled about the bill prior to the rule vote.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
McConnell grumbled about the government choosing to provide partial benefits, which requires states to reprogram their systems ‒ a process that could take days or weeks depending on the state.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Legislators often grumbled about being squeezed by Newsom, but felt compelled — not always but most of the time — to go along.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Legislators often grumbled about being squeezed by Newsom, but felt compelled — not always but most of the time — to go along.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Last month, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, grumbled on X that her follower count was not growing.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 16 Jan. 2026
Worshippers show up a half hour early to claim seats, and some longtime congregants have grumbled about the intern influx.
—Tara Palmeri, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Trump in remarks before a House Republican retreat in Washington grumbled that Democrats were not giving him credit for a successful military operation, even though there was bipartisan agreement that Maduro was not the rightful president of Venezuela.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Several hard-line conservatives and fiscal hawks had grumbled about the bill prior to the rule vote.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
McConnell grumbled about the government choosing to provide partial benefits, which requires states to reprogram their systems ‒ a process that could take days or weeks depending on the state.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumbled
Verb
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Those include removing security gates that people complained rattled when cars drove over the track and notifying neighbors of special events at least 30 days in advance.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Families have also complained about children being separated from them.—
Jordan Parker
Aviation,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Come on, the gunman growled, turning and walking and beckoning with the pistol for Adi to follow.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The dog growled and Esposito slowed his pace.—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mills raised his leg and screamed in celebration — one of the iconic moments in Seattle’s 29-13 victory as its defense smothered the Patriots.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Alongside the restaurant, a scrum of reporters screamed at the famous passersby for a soundbite.—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon created the fumble on a blitz, and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu picked up the ball and rumbled 45 yards for the score.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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The smell of methanol racing fuel and the buzz of anticipation filled Lucas Oil Stadium as a procession of monster trucks rumbled into position for Monster Jam’s two-show weekend on January 31 and February 1.—
Travis LaCoss,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The children jumped for joy after winning a game of cornhole; others fell and whined in defeat, but got up to play again.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Chip whined and nuzzled at my hand.—
Joel M. Vance,
Outdoor Life,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Lauren Caruba,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumbled. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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