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
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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
Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Again, Larkin gave a non-committal grunt.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
There are up to 20,000 rabid people raining down their emotions from all angles, a dozen sticks clattering, two dozen skates carving, all those burly bodies bumping into each other and banging into the boards, plus an endless stream of screaming and grunting and cursing.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
At the ciénega, Pitt noted the rhythmic grunts of a Yuma Ridgway’s rail, a resident marsh bird the size of a chicken that makes a racket but rarely shows itself among the reeds.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Again, Larkin gave a non-committal grunt.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Verb
The doctor grunted, shuffled off.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
There are up to 20,000 rabid people raining down their emotions from all angles, a dozen sticks clattering, two dozen skates carving, all those burly bodies bumping into each other and banging into the boards, plus an endless stream of screaming and grunting and cursing.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
-
The trade was halted, and ships carrying Polynesian laborers were ordered back.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
We’re told that golf balls fished out of a pond are worth more than these laborers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The camera then turns to James Austin Johnson, who played the president, sleeping and muttering New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s name.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Dec. 2025
-
On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
More than 15,000 energy workers, including Adamov and his colleagues, are now battling to repair the damage across Ukraine.—
Svitlana Vlasova,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
New Deductions For Tips And Overtime Workers There are two new deductions for workers who rely on variable pay.—
Emma Waldman,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cocksuckers, Chuky mumbled, cradling the bottle atop his belly, nestling its spout in his shiny cleavage.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Arrigo, instead, surly and withdrawn as always, mumbled those incomprehensible phrases of his—not that anyone paid him any attention, not even his wife.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fine, minimalist belts like this Cézembre beltcan be worn alone for a whisper of detail or doubled (even tripled) for stronger visual impact.—
Pooja Shah,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But now the whispers are growing into a chorus.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tess murmurs, having had no idea that Alex, who works in finance, has started moonlighting in standup.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
12 Dec. 2025
-
An aide for former first daughter Chelsea Clinton shut down murmurs about her entering the race.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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 31 Jan. 2026.
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