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
Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
Immediately as Silva got out of his SUV, he was shot in the hand and soon after in the head, grunting and groaning in pain as blood spatter suddenly appeared on his uniform sleeve.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 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
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
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
Verb
Once their tray was stuffed with Terry Black’s brisket, pork ribs, dino ribs, sausage and turkey, Heder and Ramirez both carried the tray off the table, grunting.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
Immediately as Silva got out of his SUV, he was shot in the hand and soon after in the head, grunting and groaning in pain as blood spatter suddenly appeared on his uniform sleeve.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunting
Noun
-
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
Verb
-
Gilbert, now imprisoned at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York, appeared gaunt and withdrawn during the interview, at times mumbling short responses before abruptly cutting the conversation short.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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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
Noun
-
In the main story campaign set in the Korean Peninsula, Private Park, a young Korean grunt soldier, is thrust into combat for the first time, as he and his squad are forced to overcome impossible odds in a gripping zero to hero journey.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
As for grunt, Angelique is powered by a pair of MTU 12V4000 M65L that let the yacht dart to a top speed of 17 knots.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
But many questions went unanswered, frustrating many murmuring and grumbling attendees.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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His father trailed him on the ice, murmuring.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Six mutters and sighs and rolls his head as if profoundly exasperated.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
There had been political whispers in South Windsor since the November election about whether the decision disqualifying Amadasun was part of a Republican ploy to keep Democrats from achieving a council supermajority.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
-
This might be as simple as a public argument – hissing whispers in an elevator.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunting. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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