1
as in filthy
not clean
clean off those grubby hands before you touch anything
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2
as in dirty
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a grubby reason to stop talking to a friend
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Recent Examples of grubby
Although the murderous alien is the films’ ostensible villain, Weyland-Yutani—an omnipresent monolith that’s sort of like if Tesla bought Netflix and was also the hospital—looms large over Alien’s grubby dystopia.
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Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
The man looks nothing like the usual upscale Buckhead business crowd; this guy is rough and grubby, with no hint of a smile.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2024
Any science that deserves its name is said to be vulnerable to tests that can falsify it, while philosophy aims for pristine truths that hover somewhere beyond the grubby reach of experiment.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
His show of video, collage and sculpture, named after a popular African cleaning product, crashes together objects invoking the artist’s roots, migratory patterns and colonial history, often through the grubby materials of consumer culture.
—Teri Henderson, Washington Post, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for grubby 
Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
The man looks nothing like the usual upscale Buckhead business crowd; this guy is rough and grubby, with no hint of a smile.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2024
Any science that deserves its name is said to be vulnerable to tests that can falsify it, while philosophy aims for pristine truths that hover somewhere beyond the grubby reach of experiment.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
His show of video, collage and sculpture, named after a popular African cleaning product, crashes together objects invoking the artist’s roots, migratory patterns and colonial history, often through the grubby materials of consumer culture.
—Teri Henderson, Washington Post, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for grubby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grubby
Adjective
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They were packed in the ships’ holds in filthy conditions reminiscent of their initial arrival in North America, their prospects of freedom largely unchanged by the war.Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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Don't let a little plumbing snafu make your dishwasher filthy.Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But this flavor swaps dirty diesel for a clean and quiet electric drivetrain built around a 74-kWh battery pack for more than 90 miles (150 km) of hauling over all kinds of challenging terrain.Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2024
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The dirty secret is that students don't want to take courses in neo-Marxist nonsense.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Small, personal attentions are dotted throughout the stay, such as tucking in a teddy, proactively repairing an earring’s closing mechanism, rejuvenating dusty trainers after a day of exploration, or bringing in canapés the guest visibly enjoyed at dinner as a mid-day snack.Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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And some days, its dusty air carries the stench of the polluted Salton Sea eight miles west.Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The electric vehicle maker still is shooting for a launch of its cheaper vehicle in the first half of next year and other models later in the year, the bank said after the meeting with investor relations chief Travis Axelrod.Rachael Levy, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
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And cheap, lower-tech methods of creating and disseminating false information have been extremely successful on their own.Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Dec. 2022
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There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
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Mercifully, Newcastle came up against a Leicester side whose setup under Ruud van Nistelrooy was as naive as their defensive performance was pitiful.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
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The Bucs gained 156 yards on 32 carries, with the Giants’ pitiful tackling paving the way to most of those yards.Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, heavy rains—likely influenced by the volcanic disruptions—turned the battlefield into a muddy quagmire, delaying Napoleon's attacks and aiding the Allied forces' eventual victory.Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
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But in the Northeast and Midwest, that research points to a less concrete loss, of ice fishing and pond skating and dogsledding, and other parts of life that just aren’t as possible in a sopping wet, muddy winter.Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Grubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grubby. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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