grunt 1 of 2

noun

Definition of gruntnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grunt

2 of 2

verb

ˈgrənt How to pronounce grunt (audio)
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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grunt
Noun
As Yerman called for help from the grunts and worked on getting medical evacuation helicopters inbound, Capers ordered Crepeau to call in mortars dangerously close to the Marines’ position—a risky gamble that silenced the enemy guns. — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026 There, Noronha wrasse—the archipelago’s namesake cleaner fish—dart among surgeonfish, sergeant majors, grunts, parrotfish, and groupers. — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
According to the complaint, Willis has been left completely incapacitated since a brief stint at Summit Malibu in early 2024, unable to move or communicate beyond occasionally opening her eyes and sometimes grunting. — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026 Advertisement One of the film’s comedic bits is your character and Jake Johnson’s character playing against a team in which both players grunt loudly on the court. — Sean Gregory, Time, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
  1. grunting
  2. laborer
  3. mutter
  4. muttering
  5. worker
  6. mumble
  7. whisper
  8. murmur
Noun
  • 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
Definition of grunting
Noun
  • Like most aggies, Coover’s self-conception is more small-business owner than laborer.
    — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Cazares begins most days at sunrise and works construction or as a day laborer throughout the city and suburbs.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of laborer
Verb
  • Heti stared at the drawing in front of her and muttered whatever under her breath.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The tourists mutter in disbelief before the driver of the bus heads down the street to the next haunted stop.
    — Sonjirose Chin, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of mutter
Noun
  • From the first take to the last, the scene evolves quite dramatically, and the final take is the one that most closely resembles the scene in the finished episode (though, sadly, Ned’s introductory muttering seems to have been cut for time).
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of muttering
Noun
  • The slow-moving storm, which killed a New York City housing authority worker when a tree fell Saturday, was expected to linger through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf all the way to New England.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • In Surf City, New Jersey, water rose inside a marina where workers had moved equipment to higher ground, and owner Kenny Formica said customers reported boats and Jet Skis missing or blown from their lifts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of worker
Verb
  • My brother looks at the floor, mumbles something, and then shuffles away from the table.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • After one take — which is usually not worth the celluloid it’s printed on, as the crew and the artists find their feet — Axl mumbled something about being freaked out and disappeared back into the depths of the building.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of mumble
Noun
  • But these aren’t the delicate whispers of citrus and florals that dominate summer.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Dyson Air Purifier Early Prime Day Deal The Dyson Hushjet is a compact, small-form air purifier that's whisper-quiet but powerful.
    — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of whisper
Verb
  • Though, it perhaps must be said that Johnson’s glazed-over, murmuring style of line delivery does grow grating.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Moments later, murmurs, then cheers, rippled out from where Pasitney, Gaudry, and Espersen stood.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of murmur

Browse Nearby Words

grungy
grunt
grunted
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Cite this Entry

“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grunt

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grunt

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