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
Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2025
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
Angela Haupt, Time, 2 May 2025
Plus, one of those grunting villagers makes his way to Idaho and Jennifer Coolidge falls in love with him.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
The conversation builds, with groans and grunts and heaving sighs, rattling the valley and its birds.
—Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2025
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
Verb
Snorting, grunting, and other strange noses The parents of Bauer’s patients often demonstrate the weird noises their kids make—all in the name of helping their embarrassed children.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 2 May 2025
Plus, one of those grunting villagers makes his way to Idaho and Jennifer Coolidge falls in love with him.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
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The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
30 June 2025
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In Hollywood, officers raided the parking lot of a Home Depot where laborers and food vendors worked.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2025
Verb
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McMurtry muttering bone-dry jokes at the end of the world.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
-
Grandpa got up from his armchair and shuffled into the kitchen, muttering about needing a drink.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
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With the new minimum in place, a full-time worker in the nation's capital will earn an additional $727 in annual wages, on average, according to the EPI's calculations.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
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Unifor had fired back that DHL is not one of the top four express package delivery companies in Canada, and that DHL workers represent fewer than 0.7 percent of all local delivery workers and less than 15 percent of all courier workers in the country.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
27 June 2025
Verb
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We’re used to the actual pick announcements being mumbled into a microphone, so contracting out some charisma wasn’t the worst idea.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Sly extended his hand without raising his body and mumbled several in decipherable sentences.—
Timothy Crouse,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Every new headline—whether a cease-fire whisper or another drone strike—moves Brent and insurance quotes long before drilling rigs or pipelines can respond.—
Guney Yildiz,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Jane spoke barely above a whisper to an attentive jury throughout her afternoon testimony.—
Larry Neumeister,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Verb
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As the performance ran late, Germans murmured and Chinese girls giggled.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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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
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 6 Jul. 2025.
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