grunt 1 of 2

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

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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

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grunt

2 of 2

verb

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grunt
Noun
From the get-go, Sasaki was giving a supreme effort with his grunts after releasing his pitches audible in the field-level seats. Jay Paris, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 The sounds of grunts, punches and a little soft jazz ran through the speaker system. Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
Yesterday Re complaints about her grunting--go make those complaints on the men's side of the arena, please, and stop policing women's behavior. Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025 Chase and Danni go to the master to hook up, and we’re subjected to some late-night sounds of Chase grunting. Emma Soren, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
  • Engels wrote about the emergence of this group of laborers in his 1845 book, The Condition of the Working Class in England.
    Lauren Frayer, NPR, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Some came as agricultural, mining or railway laborers; others served in the British administration or in the Brigade of Gorkhas, an organization in the British Army made up of people from Nepal.
    Emily Fishbein, Hpan Ja Brang, The Dial, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Victoria barely muttered a word to Kate, who approached the Ratliffs during a meal, making the exchange extra awkward.
    Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Gray muttered at a moderator, pointing at the placard on the postgame table that proudly displayed his name: Hayden Gray.
    Luca Evans, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Learn More Auto workers face potential temporarily lay offs amid President Trump's new tariffs 02:17 Mr. Trump has previously reversed course on tariffs, causing upheaval in financial markets and leading economists to raise the odds of the U.S. economy entering a recession this year.
    CBS News, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The coveted endorsements came from the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, which represents building workers.
    Nicholas Fandos, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Then Hamm mumbled something under his breath, and Culkin asked him to repeat it.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Karl Johnson makes an excellent Firs, the ancient servant who regrets the freeing of the serfs and who alternates between dignified paeans to the old days and mumbling streams of profanities.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Nab the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones that wrap your ears in plush comfort while adaptive noise canceling dials the world down to a whisper at 21% off.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
  • In Drama, there’s the second season of Squid Game, which returned with a whisper as compared to the blaring horns of its breakthrough first season.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Certainly, nothing on the menu or in the service seemed to communicate anything beyond polished, murmuring attentiveness.
    Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
  • On Saturday evening, teenagers from a Catholic religious group known as the Salesians stood in a circle, murmuring quiet prayers for the pope's health.
    Joe Hernandez, NPR, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The Bulldogs players began to tap their friends and mouth the quarterback’s name.
    Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Ford decided to mouth his last name at the end, a decision that caused observers to break out in laughter.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

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