as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
had the spunk to overcome a severe physical disability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spunk
Paul Robeson was called all of the above, in addition to the more familiar slurs applied to a Black man who showed a little spunk in a Jim Crow culture.
—
Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
Kaari currently has over 190,000 followers keeping up with her spunk and style.
—Kara Nesvig, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Photo: Getty Images Cabello knows that a wild footwear choice is a surefire way to add some spunk to an outfit.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2024
After the Tokyo Olympics, both Lee and Chiles competed in college gymnastics, where the sport's hallmark intensity is often colored by team spirit, spunk and a unifying exuberance.
—Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spunk
Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
Kaari currently has over 190,000 followers keeping up with her spunk and style.
—Kara Nesvig, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Photo: Getty Images Cabello knows that a wild footwear choice is a surefire way to add some spunk to an outfit.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2024
After the Tokyo Olympics, both Lee and Chiles competed in college gymnastics, where the sport's hallmark intensity is often colored by team spirit, spunk and a unifying exuberance.
—Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spunk
Noun
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That all-important contrast is missing (as are any employees who do the manual labor of cleaning up after the guests), which is why the show feels like a deflated satire that never had the courage of its convictions to begin with.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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While initially working in a hair salon in his hometown of Houston, Guerrero worked up the courage to move to L.A. to pursue his dreams.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The 49ers felt all three had the requisite grit to play inside at nickel cornerback as well as on the outside in a traditional role.—
Matt Barrows,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
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With grit, persistence, and community, the fight to tread water became easier.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Faithfully adapted into an excellent Hulu limited series, the panoramic tale hewed closely to the details of Hunter’s own improbable family history, highlighting instances of fortitude, resourcefulness and luck.—
Julia M. Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2025
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However, baseball players are creatures of habit, and baseball is the sport that will test your mental fortitude more than any other.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The production encapsulated his bravery, wit and charm.—
Joshua Barone,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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Gryffindor stands for bravery, courage and chivalry; Hufflepuff is known for loyalty, kindness and hard work; Ravenclaw values wisdom, wit and a love of learning; Slytherin represents ambition, resourcefulness and determination.—
Kelsey Lentz,
People.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Theory one: After producing nine Bond films over 30 years, starting with GoldenEye in 1995, Broccoli no longer has the stomach or stamina for another years-long Bond production marathon.—
Benjamin Svetkey and Julian Sancton,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
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The key tenets of the framework are honed through activities that test endurance and stamina throughout the five-week flagship experience, which can include tasks like making direct sales on the streets of San Francisco.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Newsweek has reached out to legal experts to analyze whether Trump's executive order truly contradicts the 14th Amendment and, if so, to clarify the legal reasoning behind such a determination.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
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That's fine; the letter's arrival is not a final determination.—
Jeff Weiner,
Axios,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spunk. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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