1
as in grunting
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 laborer
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 to mutter
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grunt
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Bachata played faintly, with plucky notes from the guitar cutting through cows' grunts.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Planet Fitness once made a point of banning denim in the gym, along with grunting, dropping dumbbells, and judging others.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Noun
If everything went right, the OpenAI founders believed, artificial intelligence could usher in a post-scarcity utopia, automating grunt work, curing cancer, and liberating people to enjoy lives of leisure and abundance.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Bachata played faintly, with plucky notes from the guitar cutting through cows' grunts.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
There, the former Dodgers star again grunted (and cursed) loudly a few times while impressing onlookers with his command and movement.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Planet Fitness once made a point of banning denim in the gym, along with grunting, dropping dumbbells, and judging others.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
-
By pulling this string, the locals made an amplified grunting noise similar to that of a jaguar.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While the independent committee supporting Coyne is backed by Local 89, a laborers union, Crosby has been endorsed by the city’s largest labor union — the Municipal Employees Association — and the region’s largest labor organization, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Only a few years ago, Black farm workers in the Delta settled lawsuits over claims white laborers from South Africa were paid more for the same work.—
Drew Hawkins,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, cameras caught Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing muttering something after looking back at the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, who was in discomfort after an awkward slide at home plate.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The scent of vinegar fills the set, and a crew member wanders by muttering about dyeing Easter eggs.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The opportunity to send a raucous Bell Centre crowd home muttering was there in Game 3.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Much like the demonstrations two decades ago, organizers on Friday also called for a general boycott — no school, no work, no shopping — in an effort to demand that the country put workers above billionaires by taxing the rich.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
On Friday afternoon, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the 57-year-old worker as Thomas Darcy, a Schaumburg resident.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Both look over at me and then Lumet mumbles something and the conversation abruptly ends.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Peters started to mumble, sway and close his eyes as the camera panned away.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Of course, this being DC and the WHCD, there are always whispers and smoke.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
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In Islamabad, the almost indecipherable whisper of leaks has turned to crickets.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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True to form, the Boards of Canada resurrection has murmured to life so quietly that only the most obsessive of code breakers twigged it early on.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
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The remark drew a mix of gasps, murmurs and laughs from others in the room.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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