1
as in complained
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he grumbled about how sore his feet were after standing all day
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Recent Examples of grumbled
Trump in remarks before a House Republican retreat in Washington grumbled that Democrats were not giving him credit for a successful military operation, even though there was bipartisan agreement that Maduro was not the rightful president of Venezuela.
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Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Several hard-line conservatives and fiscal hawks had grumbled about the bill prior to the rule vote.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
McConnell grumbled about the government choosing to provide partial benefits, which requires states to reprogram their systems ‒ a process that could take days or weeks depending on the state.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Once the launchpad for Oscar juggernauts from Slumdog Millionaire to La La Land, TIFF has in recent years watched rivals Venice and Telluride siphon away its prestige premieres, while buyers grumbled about thinner slates and softer deal flow.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
His son hugged him, and Frazier grumbled with his team about what might have been.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
The novel, published to immediate controversy in India—an obscenity suit was filed over its portrayal of an intercaste romance—offended her Syrian Christian kin, who grumbled about misrepresentation.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
At those, Democrats restless about their party’s direction grumbled at Levin’s answers and urged more action from their leaders; one event was disrupted by protests over Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
The Arizona Republic last week reported that teammates and others in the organization have quietly grumbled about Marte’s habit of requesting off days.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumbled
Verb
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So much that theaters complained.—
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Opponents at the meeting complained about the loss of privacy, traffic congestion and the lack of parking, and said the project by now was supposed to include retail and commercial elements that create a thriving town center.—
Verb
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Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a U-Haul truck moving quickly through a dense crowd as people screamed.—
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The photo outside Enzo Ferrari’s house in the grounds of its factory in Maranello, Italy, on his first day at the latter screamed ‘aura’.—
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.—
Verb
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Chip whined and nuzzled at my hand.—
Verb
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As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
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But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Verb
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Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.—
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Cite this Entry
“Grumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumbled. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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