1
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
the store manager always asked the brawniest person there to do the heavy lifting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sinewy
marked by a well-developed musculature
brawny arms that weren't developed in the gym but by years of work in the construction business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a tough little boy who's going to be a brawny man someday
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brawny
Queen is a brawny, physical big who muscled through opponents to average 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds this season.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Masters of the Universe was confirmed by actor Nicholas Galitzine, who stars as the brawny superhero in Amazon MGM's upcoming film.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
The place had horse stables where public utility workers kept the brawny animals that pulled the construction wagons as Baltimore built a water and sewer system.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025
Stopping power was provided by Brembo brakes, its steering was hydraulically assisted, and its brawny pushrod V8 emitted a thunderous bellow.
—Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Masters of the Universe was confirmed by actor Nicholas Galitzine, who stars as the brawny superhero in Amazon MGM's upcoming film.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
The place had horse stables where public utility workers kept the brawny animals that pulled the construction wagons as Baltimore built a water and sewer system.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025
Stopping power was provided by Brembo brakes, its steering was hydraulically assisted, and its brawny pushrod V8 emitted a thunderous bellow.
—Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawny
Adjective
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The muscular gizzard contains grit pecked up from the chicken’s ground feeding, which is used to crush up the chicken’s food.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The lack of a muscular public reaction to the AP being under fire from the Trump team has also exposed divisions in the WHCA.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The bank downgraded shares of the athletic apparel manufacturer to equal weight from overweight.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
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Milton is the young, athletic newcomer who flashed potential late last season with the Patriots.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
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This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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The death toll from a powerful explosion at Iran's biggest port of Bandar Abbas has risen to at least 40, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, as firefighters blast worked to fully extinguish the fire.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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And there’s perhaps no more powerful long-term investment than the one Defy is making in people who society often writes off.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Nestled against a mountainside in the rugged Alatau region surrounding Almaty, Kazakhstan, Mazhitova’s home is indeed singular, bringing to mind the cavelike villas designed by maverick French architect Jacques Couëlle in the 1950s and ’60s, or the rustic dwellings of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.—
Amy Bradford,
Architectural Digest,
3 May 2025
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That won’t necessarily solve the spacing issues on the offensive end, but Looney is often Kerr’s counter in rugged environments and could help shore up the defensive issues that are becoming more troubling.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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After serving in the Navy during World War II, the burly athlete returned to Clovis briefly.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2025
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Our guide at Al-Aqsa was a burly thirty-five-year-old orthopedics resident named Mohammad Shaheen.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This is best proof of the Turbo S E-Hybrid’s mighty powertrain.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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And yeah, the Stars’ head coach was mighty happy No. 96 got a goal and two apples to boot.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Is Fisk, who just popped a hole in a jacket, going to gradually get bigger and beefier as the rest of the season/series unfolds?—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
28 Mar. 2025
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In retrospect, the 2015 title feels like a precursor to Breath of the Wild, with its sprawling open world design and technological wizardry that allowed an underpowered console to swing big with a game whose size was comparable to those running on beefier hardware.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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