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
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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
Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Wrestlers are rewarded for greater effort, more force and louder grunts.
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
At the ciénega, Pitt noted the rhythmic grunts of a Yuma Ridgway’s rail, a resident marsh bird the size of a chicken that makes a racket but rarely shows itself among the reeds.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Their unpredictably left me exposed to noises like car horns, crying babies and gym bro grunts.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2025
One wag at the end of the table says that computer science is no longer the ticket to riches, too much vibe coding and artificial intelligence, then another says that management consulting is over, the AI grunts will do the basic MBA work.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
Rather, the company’s bottom line will be carried by this new army of robotic grunts.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Two of the monkeys had applauded the event with hopping and grunts, but the other three had shot like arrows into the trees, chasing after the peculiar bird that had remained indifferent to their antics.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Wrestlers are rewarded for greater effort, more force and louder grunts.
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
At the ciénega, Pitt noted the rhythmic grunts of a Yuma Ridgway’s rail, a resident marsh bird the size of a chicken that makes a racket but rarely shows itself among the reeds.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Their unpredictably left me exposed to noises like car horns, crying babies and gym bro grunts.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2025
One wag at the end of the table says that computer science is no longer the ticket to riches, too much vibe coding and artificial intelligence, then another says that management consulting is over, the AI grunts will do the basic MBA work.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
Rather, the company’s bottom line will be carried by this new army of robotic grunts.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2025
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
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
-
All of the murmurs point toward that.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
-
After deciding to run it back in the offseason, there are murmurs that one of the team’s top players might be on the block sooner rather than later.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
For low-wage workers, contractor laborers, and families split across multiple jobs, a clinic visit can resemble a luxury rather than a basic necessity.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
19 Jan. 2026
-
The scheme transformed the following year into one that produced and marketed several million bottles of counterfeit drink that was mixed under unsanitary conditions by day laborers, prosecutors said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
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
-
There have 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.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
14 Jan. 2026
-
And then, there were whispers about health care staff who were a little too vocal, finding their tires slashed when their workday ended.—
Mary Buser,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
That act – passed in the wake of a wave of terror by government workers affiliated with racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan – does not apply to federal employees and could not be used in a case against Ross.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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 27 Jan. 2026.
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