grunts 1 of 2

plural of grunt
1
as in murmurs
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

grunts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of grunt
as in mutters
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 grunts
Noun
Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 As Yerman called for help from the grunts and worked on getting medical evacuation helicopters inbound, Capers ordered Crepeau to call in mortars dangerously close to the Marines’ position—a risky gamble that silenced the enemy guns. Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026 There, Noronha wrasse—the archipelago’s namesake cleaner fish—dart among surgeonfish, sergeant majors, grunts, parrotfish, and groupers. Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026 On the southern end of the loop, check out the interactive Bison Center to feel hides, hear the creatures’ varied grunts and bleats, and learn about the park’s efforts to sustainably maintain the herd. Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 5 Aug. 2026 Most fights consist of dealing with waves of basic grunts with the occasional bruiser or shooter thrown in to keep you on edge. Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 26 May 2026 The crowd erupted in hearty grunts and boos after the error. Kendall Staton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2026 Expect a lot of kicks, punches, chases and grunts and groans. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 May 2026 The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported that the family also experienced foul odors and heard pig grunts in the home. Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
But young Fraser barely grunts under the punishment, then puts his shirt back on and goes to see how Julia is doing. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunts
Noun
  • In these murmurs, Ullom wonders how much modern technology has led us astray.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • For weeks, there have been murmurs in DC about a coming White House move to address the inevitability of powerful, open-source Chinese AI models being used by people and businesses across the globe.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • Many worked as laborers in building projects in an era of Western colonial rule across much of Asia.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Built in 1610 by Spanish and Indigenous laborers, the church was destroyed in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt that drove Spanish colonizers out of the region for 12 years.
    Dan Fellner, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That’s when Way mutters the p-word — under his breath for plausible deniability, but certainly still with the intention of being heard, smirking at the sound of my laughter.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Wilde read on social media that the tune actually inspired a movie theater meet-cute, as Nash mutters profanity mid-song.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • Last year, footage of a skeleton prop at a winter Zac Brown Band concert drew whispers of devil worship.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But his contract runs out in March, and for nearly a year there have been whispers that his extension is coming soon.
    Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At the same time, many of these tech companies, like Microsoft and IBM, have been providing accessible professional certificate programs to workers across the globe in hopes of closing the skills gap.
    Charlotte Hu, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Chesnot | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The platform at one point served more than 500,000 workers, also referred to as turkers, according to Amazon.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Both look over at me and then Lumet mumbles something and the conversation abruptly ends.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Meanwhile, everyone is still running around like the Keystone Kops chasing Billie, passing an old lady in a bed eating Jell-O who mumbles something in Diné.
    Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grunts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunts. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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