1
as in brusquely
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2
as in grimly
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Recent Examples of gruffly
Chief among the familiar faces is Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the stoic, gruffly professional explosives-disposal expert Major Will Tranter, who shows up at a construction site in the heart of London where an unexploded, 1,000-pound WWII bomb has just been found.
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Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruffly
Adverb
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The veil having been brusquely lifted from his eyes, Blair eventually left the service.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
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Gina remains loyal to Amy, who has at times treated her friend brusquely.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The Olsen kiddos trying to close their front door to keep the sharks out is just as well-shot and grimly hilarious as Lisa readying to give birth as the floodwaters rise.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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Innocence isn’t even about the recent past; statistically speaking, the grimly familiar scenes of mayhem might take place somewhere next week.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The Yangs were called in and curtly told the judgment was being overturned, their lawsuit dismissed without trial.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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That deeply constrains everything that occurs in the show’s first outing, which can’t see Mike, El, Dustin, Lucas, or Max grow as characters in ways that bump up against their arcs from the original show, or let the new addition Nikki (Odessa A’zion) become too firmly entrenched in their lives.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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Verdict As tested at MSRP of $74,740, this SQ5 Prestige with Black Optic package sits firmly in the upper tier of compact luxury performance SUVs.—
Chris Jackson,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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If the bike lane is sharply delineated with curbs, that will help a lot.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 Apr. 2026
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Candidates diverge sharply on school police, Supt.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The activity for Initio, with functional fragrances meant to trigger emotions, is performing strongly, too.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
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That philosophy has resonated strongly with patients throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Gunfire at the Washington Hilton Saturday night abruptly halted the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner.—
Charles Forelle,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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In her last year of college, my now-37-year-old daughter abruptly came out as a lesbian.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Wall Street has been determinedly upbeat about the war in Iran resolving in a relatively short window.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
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Though his injuries were severe, the sailors watched in wonder as the cat determinedly licked his wounds, then got back to work destroying the rats threatening the ship’s food stores.—
Anne Ewbank,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gruffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruffly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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