1
: the principal force, shock, or stress (as of an attack)
bear the brunt of the storm
the brunt of the struggle with the German army fell upon the Russians—
Walter Lippmann
Walter Lippmann2
: the greater part : burden
Examples of brunt in a Sentence
the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders
Recent Examples on the Web
Long and narrow, at only around 1,000 feet wide, Fire Island runs parallel to the southern coast of Long Island and helps buffer inland areas from the full brunt of the sea.
—Ramin Skibba, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2025
Their presence insulated India from the full brunt of Trump’s mercurial tendencies.
—Milan Vaishnav, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
International trade: Most avocado imports to be duty-free after Mexico misses brunt of Trump's tariff orders
Mexico, which ships nearly 80% of its exports to the United States, was not included on Trump's list of global, across-the-board tariffs announced on nations last week.
—Raul Cortes, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
It may even be excluded from the policy altogether, in which case homeowners would bear the full brunt of costs related to wind damage.
—Danielle Seurkamp, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brunt
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Ramin Skibba, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2025
Their presence insulated India from the full brunt of Trump’s mercurial tendencies.
—Milan Vaishnav, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
International trade: Most avocado imports to be duty-free after Mexico misses brunt of Trump's tariff orders
Mexico, which ships nearly 80% of its exports to the United States, was not included on Trump's list of global, across-the-board tariffs announced on nations last week.
—Raul Cortes, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
It may even be excluded from the policy altogether, in which case homeowners would bear the full brunt of costs related to wind damage.
—Danielle Seurkamp, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brunt
Cite this Entry
“Brunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brunt. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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brunt
noun
: the main force or stress (as of an attack)
the brunt of the storm
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