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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of grunt
ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
Speaking of dolphins, they’re also frequently joined by other Florida Keys aquatic life like parrotfish, snapper, grunts, and eagle rays.
—Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2025
Jordan Greene, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Tim Allen's grunting tool man led one of the '90s most popular sitcoms.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles.
—ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
Speaking of dolphins, they’re also frequently joined by other Florida Keys aquatic life like parrotfish, snapper, grunts, and eagle rays.
—Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
Kandil recalls how, in those moments, her son would grunt and clamp down, completely blocking his airway.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Tim Allen's grunting tool man led one of the '90s most popular sitcoms.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
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Vita's Ukrainian mother (my grandmother) survived as an orphan for two years under German occupation and barely evaded being carted off to Germany to work as a forced laborer.—
Sasha Vasilyuk,
Time,
8 May 2025
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But, as Levi history tells it, the wife of a local laborer came to Davis asking for pants that wouldn’t fall apart.—
Catherine Salfino,
Sourcing Journal,
8 May 2025
Verb
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He is made, late in the show, to feign a seizure in a moment that doesn’t land, and the blocking of his final scene, in which the actor mutters to the ceiling while lying on his back, similarly thuds.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
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Victoria barely muttered a word to Kate, who approached the Ratliffs during a meal, making the exchange extra awkward.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Their team also includes social workers and intervention specialists.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
10 May 2025
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On average, a college graduate earns $32,000 more in a year than a worker with only a high school diploma, according to a new report from Federal Reserve economists.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Hutchinson had no final statement, according to the Associated Press, and appeared to mumble to himself as the procedure began.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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Hutchinson had no last statement but appeared to be mumbling to himself as the procedure started just before 8 p.m.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2025
Noun
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There have been a lot of whispers and rumours about where this prospective investment could come from but nothing concrete has emerged yet.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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There are enough vague, intractable whispers of diplomacy and further talks about talks, to provide the tantalising promise of a deal, without striking, or even delineating one.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Verb
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In one video, the passenger shared a video of a brown roach making its way up the back of a chair from the back seat pocket with its little legs as passengers who witnessed it could be heard murmuring in the background.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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But the attitude of the Romanian mercenaries — always scanning the road, murmuring into radios — gave it away: Congo’s defenses were crumbling.—
Emmet Livingstone,
The Dial,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Bulldogs players began to tap their friends and mouth the quarterback’s name.—
Adam Grosbard,
Orange County Register,
5 Mar. 2025
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Ford decided to mouth his last name at the end, a decision that caused observers to break out in laughter.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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