as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a chorus of moans and grumbles when they found out that the overnight camping trip had been cancelled
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he grumbled about how sore his feet were after standing all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grumble
Chris McMullen, Space.com, 29 Nov. 2025
So Macedonio and his team monitor its every grumble and tremor.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 25 Nov. 2025
Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Sure, there’s been grumbling and some burner phones and scrolling in the bathroom.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grumble
Noun
Its Amazon reviews are near universally positive, with the only grumble being that the voice change could be better.
—Verb
Many conservatives are grumbling about dismantling the debt brake.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumble
Noun
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These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
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Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.—
Verb
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
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Although older drivers are certainly more sensitive to nocturnal blasts of light, drivers in their 20s and 30s also complained about the overall brightness of some vehicles.—
Verb
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How Popcorn Affects Your Stomach When your stomach starts growling between meals, popcorn might be just the thing to alleviate those annoying hunger pangs.—
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And as the person behind the camera approaches the pit bull, the dog growls and barks while standing in a fearful crouch.—
Noun
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Despite hearing her moan, Spees called in a level three resistance report but then continued escorting her toward his patrol vehicle.—
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Three hours later, only faint moans can be heard on the video footage when a jail guard opened the cell door again and summoned Ellis Jr. out to see the nurse.—
Verb
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Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.—
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For all the talk about home-field advantage and the Bears needing their fans to scream 20 percent louder and be 30 percent drunker than usual, past precedent shows that won’t matter much.—
Verb
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Last year the Eagles rumbled to plus-12, the widest margin of the century to date.—
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Morton committed his second turnover of the day when edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei ripped the ball from the hands of the Red Raiders quarterback and rumbled down to the Texas Tech 6-yard line.—
Noun
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Until Verizon amends its complaint and the judge rules on the emergency request, there is no court directive preventing the association from moving forward with the rooftop work that Verizon says would interrupt wireless service in the area.—
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Beyond the service commitments, the complaint accuses HMM of conditioning access to space on the payment of peak season surcharges (PSS) and other extra-contractual fees—despite contract language that expressly barred such add-ons unless mutually agreed.—
Cite this Entry
“Grumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumble. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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