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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in laborers
a person who does very hard or dull work
we have an opening in the warehouse if you don't mind doing grunt work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of grunts
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
The beat and the backing grunts are tense (and intense), but the electric piano is warm and tender.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2025
So the grunts up front are succeeding, but the running backs are failing?
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Stryker grunts, wanting this to never end.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
Still quieter than the music playing and the grunts of the adults flopping, the yelling of Tap and You okay?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
After analyzing over 2,000 hours of ocean acoustic recordings gathered over 12 years, marine biologists say that groupers convey specific messages to one another about courtship and territory with their grunts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
There are layers of grunts and bangs; there is an increasingly insistent electronic score by Steve Jablonsky and, loudest of all, there are numerous ’70s needle drops that fully exploit the melodrama of prog rock.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
During the day, fans can meander in and out of matches, keyed by the soundtrack of fervent applause in a close match, of grunts and skidding sneakers just a few feet away.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Things take a turn for the whimsical when, with the help of some lightning — and later, Taffy’s tanning bed — Lisa finds a companion in an undead, Victorian-era Cole Sprouse, a hopeless romantic who communicates exclusively in grunts, and whose devotion to Lisa knows no bounds.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
The beat and the backing grunts are tense (and intense), but the electric piano is warm and tender.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2025
So the grunts up front are succeeding, but the running backs are failing?
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Stryker grunts, wanting this to never end.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
Still quieter than the music playing and the grunts of the adults flopping, the yelling of Tap and You okay?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
After analyzing over 2,000 hours of ocean acoustic recordings gathered over 12 years, marine biologists say that groupers convey specific messages to one another about courtship and territory with their grunts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
There are layers of grunts and bangs; there is an increasingly insistent electronic score by Steve Jablonsky and, loudest of all, there are numerous ’70s needle drops that fully exploit the melodrama of prog rock.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
During the day, fans can meander in and out of matches, keyed by the soundtrack of fervent applause in a close match, of grunts and skidding sneakers just a few feet away.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
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
-
As Jarcovjáková travels from the former Czechoslovakia to Japan and West Berlin, navigating rejection and the lives of various lovers, the murmurs of voices, quiet footsteps and hums of crowded rooms accompany her striking black-and-white photography.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Disappointed murmurs followed the mention of Valadao’s name.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The number of Japanese immigrants increased at the beginning of the 20th century and thousands found work as migrant laborers for white farmers.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In the early twentieth century, two groups of Indians living in America, young intellectuals and working-class laborers, had very different experiences of the country.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Your dad mutters for head movement, for cage cutting, for not playing off the back and creating distance.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This could trigger everything from whispers and misunderstandings to grudges that resurface in the group chat.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The whispers of China’s rise have been ongoing since the Obama administration, but the power that was unintentionally ceded due to the actions taken by the first and second Trump administrations cannot be overlooked.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Some families had to go without benefits for several days this month, Haynes said, and many federal workers in the Sacramento region are going unpaid in a season when the demand for food assistance always soars.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
-
On the back end, VA is ramping up AI uses that ease the burden on workers.—
Adam Stone,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 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
Cite this Entry
“Grunts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunts. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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