as in muttering
speech that is not clear enough to be understood
says he talks in his sleep, but really it's just snorts and grunting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in mumbling
to speak softly and unclearly
was so absorbed with the video game that when asked what he wanted for dinner, he just grunted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grunting
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
Vile — lots of climbing, groping, grabbing, grunting and dirt.
—Linda Perillo, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
People are well outnumbered by the humpbacks and pods of orcas, bald eagles and herons, seals and sea lions grunting their tone-deaf tunes atop the rocks.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 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
The red hind grouper (Epinephelus guttatus) is big on grunting.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
Flushing Meadows has become the site of flushed cheeks during the final grand slam tournament of the year, with a confrontation over grunting on Saturday serving up the latest evidence of emotions running hot in New York.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025
Tim Allen's grunting tool man led one of the '90s most popular sitcoms.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
The elephant is now decidedly less friendly, and is doing far more than twitching and grunting.
—Stephen Maher, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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
Vile — lots of climbing, groping, grabbing, grunting and dirt.
—Linda Perillo, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
People are well outnumbered by the humpbacks and pods of orcas, bald eagles and herons, seals and sea lions grunting their tone-deaf tunes atop the rocks.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 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
The red hind grouper (Epinephelus guttatus) is big on grunting.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
Flushing Meadows has become the site of flushed cheeks during the final grand slam tournament of the year, with a confrontation over grunting on Saturday serving up the latest evidence of emotions running hot in New York.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025
Tim Allen's grunting tool man led one of the '90s most popular sitcoms.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
The elephant is now decidedly less friendly, and is doing far more than twitching and grunting.
—Stephen Maher, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunting
Verb
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Old friend Daniel Vladar was spectacular in making 26 saves, several of which had Morgan Geekie (nine total shots, five on net, two blocked, two misses) muttering to himself.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
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Then, while there was still enough light to see them plainly, the two came stalking out of the brush, growling and muttering.—
Doris DeCleene,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The whinny is an unusual combination of both high and low-pitched sounds — like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Seeing, hearing is believing With one final grunt, Walker Buehler hopped off the bullpen mound and headed toward Field 2 at the Peoria Sports Complex to throw his first live batting practice.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mustafa said as the man trotted down the stairs, mumbling something—a prayer, a curse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta police officers responding to the scene found Leon sitting on the ground in handcuffs, acting belligerently and attempting to stand while mumbling.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To this day, the cooing and mutter of pigeons can lull me into a space of deep enjoyment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His father trailed him on the ice, murmuring.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Rarely have Hunt’s compositions felt so jittery and full of life as the title track, which blooms from murmuring drones into shimmering bokehs of synth programming.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Carry-on Pro features a sleek, scratch-resistant polycarbonate shell, whisper-smooth 360-degree spinner wheels, and an ejectable front laptop sleeve that makes TSA checks far less chaotic.—
Kristy Alpert,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Feb. 2026
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One storyline that will be at the forefront of the upcoming season centers on Wednesday's Aunt Ophelia, who's been spoken about in hushed whispers throughout season 2.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunting. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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