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
Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
McKellen can make a terrific meal out of just a few grunts and groans, spending whole scenes mumbling about nothing in particular; meanwhile, Coel comes across as impenetrable, yet alluringly so.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Planet Fitness once made a point of banning denim in the gym, along with grunting, dropping dumbbells, and judging others.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported that the family also experienced foul odors and heard pig grunts in the home.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
McKellen can make a terrific meal out of just a few grunts and groans, spending whole scenes mumbling about nothing in particular; meanwhile, Coel comes across as impenetrable, yet alluringly so.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
There, the former Dodgers star again grunted (and cursed) loudly a few times while impressing onlookers with his command and movement.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Planet Fitness once made a point of banning denim in the gym, along with grunting, dropping dumbbells, and judging others.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
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By pulling this string, the locals made an amplified grunting noise similar to that of a jaguar.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Westerners, Arabs and Indians dominate business and finance, while laborers from poor countries in Asia and Africa toil for long hours in scorching temperatures at oil facilities and construction sites — often with few protections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
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The idea goes back decades, to when Zadikian was working in Iran with art dealer Tony Shafrazi and became fixated on the way laborers stacked clay bricks, repeating the same gesture over and over until something larger took shape.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Across the game, the crowd raged with injustice and annoyance at a refereeing performance Bayern supporters will mutter about for years.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
On Tuesday, cameras caught Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing muttering something after looking back at the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, who was in discomfort after an awkward slide at home plate.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The opportunity to send a raucous Bell Centre crowd home muttering was there in Game 3.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And inside the adjacent soft pretzel shop, two workers leaned over on the counter, watching videos on a phone to pass the time.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Earlier this week the United Nations blasted Israel over its strikes killing healthcare workers, saying the World Health Organization has recorded 151 such attacks resulting in 103 deaths and 230 injuries.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In the video, Peters is seen taking a swig of an unknown substance and then subsequently starting to mumble, sway and close his eyes as the camera panned away.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
At last, Henley mumbled something.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
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These poppers start with the crisp, juicy snap of mini sweet peppers, which are filled with a creamy, tangy pimiento cheese spiked with smoky bacon and a whisper of black pepper.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
5 May 2026
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The early universe, a mere whisper after the Big Bang, just a few hundred million years old — that's when the first stars and galaxies were starting to flicker on, like fairy lights across a cosmic dark.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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But many questions went unanswered, frustrating many murmuring and grumbling attendees.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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True to form, the Boards of Canada resurrection has murmured to life so quietly that only the most obsessive of code breakers twigged it early on.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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