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
Either way, that's still significant grunt from what's essentially a lawnmower engine. New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024 Assigning an employee grunt work is not delegating. Terina Allen, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
Some of the men shrugged, a few others grunted, and most walked away. Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 7 Nov. 2024 Good rattling/grunting setup: Wind in your face and rock bluff or stream at your back. Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for grunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grunt
Noun
  • The laborers who make these goods earn as little as $5 an hour, including overtime, for workdays that can last 10 hours or more.
    Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
  • In Nepal, a U.S.-based nonprofit named the La Isla Network put on hold its work on chronic kidney disease, a deadly condition believed to be linked to heat stress and dehydration that has emerged as a threat to manual laborers in hot countries.
    ByCatherine Offord, science.org, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • At the Starbucks in Chicago on Monday, a man entered the cafe and paced back and forth, muttering to himself.
    Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.
    Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Children, veterans, active-duty military personnel, front-line workers and medical personnel can enter for free.
    Genevieve Redsten, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Legal experts question the legality of the mass layoffs, which workers criticize as poorly handled and potentially damaging to critical federal government operations, Axios' Emily Peck writes.
    Lauren Floyd, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Some of the dialogue meets the same fate, mumbled or whispered into the swell of Jed Kurzel’s evocative soundtrack.
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Eventually, after a lot of waiting, out came Flint’s Louie Ray, who mumbled his way through a questionable selection of B-sides.
    Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • And that whisper affected several subsequent batches.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Casualties of the layoff have turned to online whisper networks such as Blind to air their grievances.
    Brooke Erin Duffy, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Divergent aspects of Cage’s language—hypnotically simple harmony in the first, percussive murmuring in the other—complemented the film’s rapt aura.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Wrapping a pair of leaves around my wrist, Garcia pressed her thumb into my pulse point and murmured a blessing.
    Gina DeCaprio Vercesi, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Residents should limit their time outside and dress warmly, making sure to cover their head, face and mouth with a knit hat or scarf, protect their hands with mittens or gloves, wear several layers of loose-fitting clothes and put on water-resistant shoes or boots.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grunt. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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