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
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence.
—Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025
Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
That’s where the name came from, the R and the J and the sound pigs make grunting.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
In the deciding tiebreak, having frittered away an earlier chance to serve out the match, Vavassori cranked serves and crushed overheads with primal grunts.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence.
—Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
That’s where the name came from, the R and the J and the sound pigs make grunting.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
-
Meanwhile, blue-collar or trade laborers are expected to remain essential.—
Eyal Lifshitz,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
On the Mauser Packaging Solutions plant floor, laborers do the dirty work of reconditioning steel containers used to transport chemicals.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There are few actors whose disembodied voices could carry long stretches of cinema, but Dafoe manages it, turning monologues about marionette mechanics or muttered complaints about hotel politics into something weirdly magnetic.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
-
He was also heard muttering expletives down the stretch, visibly battling the heat and pressure.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Now, the government holds a position in a company that’s laying off American workers.—
,
CNBC,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The pandemic underscored how much neighborhoods rely on proximity to service workers.—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
From the first moment, the vibe is off, as Brady looks earnestly at Rooney, the England legend mumbles and gives vague answers.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
-
During the video, the person can be heard mumbling and breathing heavily.—
Claudia Lauer,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Davis remembers hearing the whispers of concern.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Well, the test screening whisper network has said glowing things about it so far.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cali’s husband murmured beside her, nuzzled into her elbow.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
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An Indian woman in sports clothes walks past me murmuring an unbroken monologue into her phone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As in the never-ending parade of ostensibly Christian exorcism movies, religious belief here seems like a superficial excuse for a stock array of supernatural hoodoo — no matter how many times Chalik’s Abuyya pauses the action to mouth some healing doctrine.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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