as in dwarf
something (such as an animal) much smaller than others of its kind
one kitten was definitely the runt, weighing only six ounces at birth
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Recent Examples of runt
That runt is now the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots.
—
Tim Rohan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
There’s usually a runt in every litter.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Dec. 2025
Schuster-Koloamatangi, who’s a native New Zealander, plays Dek, the franchise’s first Yautja protagonist, and as the runt of his Predator clan, he’s been completely written off by his father.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Seen as the runt of his clan, Dek has something to prove.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
College football’s eternal doormat, the runt of the SEC’s original litter, had earned time in the national spotlight.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Imagine a second straight year of Bama righting the season by beating Georgia — and then immediately losing to the SEC's longtime runt.
—Jason Kirk, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Pershan observed that this was a runt of the litter.
—Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 June 2025
Tim Rohan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
There’s usually a runt in every litter.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Dec. 2025
Schuster-Koloamatangi, who’s a native New Zealander, plays Dek, the franchise’s first Yautja protagonist, and as the runt of his Predator clan, he’s been completely written off by his father.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Seen as the runt of his clan, Dek has something to prove.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
College football’s eternal doormat, the runt of the SEC’s original litter, had earned time in the national spotlight.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Imagine a second straight year of Bama righting the season by beating Georgia — and then immediately losing to the SEC's longtime runt.
—Jason Kirk, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Pershan observed that this was a runt of the litter.
—Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runt
Noun
-
When choosing vegetables to plant in containers, look for dwarf or compact varieties.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Regretfully, some plants damaged the most were the colorful dwarf schefflera, crotons, ti plants and similar.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The more common nickname, El Mencho, is said to be a diminutive of his first name, Nemesio.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Another gender-neutral name that had a burst of popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamie was a go-to for girls or a diminutive of James for boys.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead of cozying up in its own nostalgia, Titanique treats it as just another toy in a big box of gags, many cheap and all nutty and shameless.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Inside the little toy are over 5 million names on an SD card, submitted by folks around the world looking to fly their monikers to the moon.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Runt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runt. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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