grunt 1 of 2

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

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grunt

2 of 2

verb

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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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
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
  • After more than a decade away from the stage, social whispers of a 2026 global tour have her base excited.
    Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Turns out, the possibility of the pirate using the Foundation’s whisper-ships is what finally convinces them to start listening.
    Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The River Coln murmurs gently here—weaving through golden buttercups and forget-me-nots, while plump ducks paddle lazily beneath canopies of willow.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Melancholic nylon guitars, murmuring bongos, and the distant cry of a trumpet create a vibe that sounds timeless — the magic is undeniable.
    Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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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Cite this Entry

“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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