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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of grunting
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
Yesterday Re complaints about her grunting--go make those complaints on the men's side of the arena, please, and stop policing women's behavior.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025
Chase and Danni go to the master to hook up, and we’re subjected to some late-night sounds of Chase grunting.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Paired alongside Shakespeare’s lines about grunting and sweating under a weary life, even the non-playable background extras seem imbued with a soul.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The team recorded dozens of the native birds gathering around to perform their courtship—showing off their bright feathers, smooth moves and grunting calls.
—Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025
Between Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, Allen has spent nearly two decades on network TV playing a blue-collar, no-nonsense dad who loves his kids despite all his grumbling (and grunting).
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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
Yesterday Re complaints about her grunting--go make those complaints on the men's side of the arena, please, and stop policing women's behavior.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025
Chase and Danni go to the master to hook up, and we’re subjected to some late-night sounds of Chase grunting.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Paired alongside Shakespeare’s lines about grunting and sweating under a weary life, even the non-playable background extras seem imbued with a soul.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The team recorded dozens of the native birds gathering around to perform their courtship—showing off their bright feathers, smooth moves and grunting calls.
—Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025
Between Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, Allen has spent nearly two decades on network TV playing a blue-collar, no-nonsense dad who loves his kids despite all his grumbling (and grunting).
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 6 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunting
Verb
-
He was also heard muttering expletives down the stretch, visibly battling the heat and pressure.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
-
That Longhorns fan muttering about Nietzsche was right after all.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Porsche has put all that extra grunt to good use.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported that the family also experienced foul odors and heard pig grunts in the home.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
During the video, the person can be heard mumbling and breathing heavily.—
Claudia Lauer,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
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So meagre, my wife, the one sitting next to her, kept mumbling, ‘Is this it?—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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An Indian woman in sports clothes walks past me murmuring an unbroken monologue into her phone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Davis remembers hearing the whispers of concern.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Well, the test screening whisper network has said glowing things about it so far.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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