1
as in grunting
speech that is not clear enough to be understood
preoccupied with what he was doing, the mechanic gave only a grunt when I asked when the car would be ready
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work
we have an opening in the warehouse if you don't mind doing grunt work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to mutter
to speak softly and unclearly
was so absorbed with the video game that when asked what he wanted for dinner, he just grunted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grunt
Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Zach Edwards, senior threat researcher at Silent Push, said the structure is a classic one, in which young people do most of the dangerous grunt work in a criminal organization.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Jan. 2026
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The doctor grunted, shuffled off.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
Two of the monkeys had applauded the event with hopping and grunts, but the other three had shot like arrows into the trees, chasing after the peculiar bird that had remained indifferent to their antics.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Zach Edwards, senior threat researcher at Silent Push, said the structure is a classic one, in which young people do most of the dangerous grunt work in a criminal organization.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
Larkin grunted and said nothing.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The doctor grunted, shuffled off.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
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Few accessories are so simple as the beanie, whose provenance can be traced back to a simple woolen cap worn by laborers in the late Medieval period.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
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Just 36 hours later, the slave laborers and Berger-Moran, newly born, were loaded onto open coal wagons — filthy and open to the skies.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the village, men mutter about their land being taken over by outsiders.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But the bad news is that outside of a mutual prisoner exchange, both sides walked away muttering the same old positions.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At least three people died and nearly two dozen others were injured after a building used as temporary lodgings for workers caught fire early Friday in a suburb of Hungary's capital, authorities said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The warrant for Silva-Parucho, a construction worker with a pending asylum application and valid employment authorization, was therefore invalid, the judge ruled.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One of the reporters said Bad Bunny often mumbled through the expletives or cut off the word entirely in the show.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
At times Horne came up and mumbled something about the child’s beauty, the victim remembered.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The footage also shows an unknown male whisper into the suspect’s ear, a court affidavit explaining the charges said.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
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The recent whispers were inspired by a resurfaced Comic-Con clip in which Claffey's 11-year-old costar, Dexter Sol Ansell, appears to confirm that the former Superman actor will appear in season 2 of AKOTSK.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Medical machinery beeps, carers murmur softly.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
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His father trailed him on the ice, murmuring.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Or to sometimes instinctively mouth the words to Christmas carols the kids sang to him with tears or confusion in their eyes.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
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The opposition’s mainstream leaders still mouth the catechism that change should come by Venezuelan hands, but more are openly courting external pressure to tilt the balance.—
Robert Muggah,
The Conversation,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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