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
Back then, purists grumbled that the modern reinterpretation of the British classic departed from the rough and tumble identity of Defenders past.
—
John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
Aura grumbled along with her classmates.
—Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Robbins was replaced at center by Adam Treu, the Raiders lost 48-21 to a Bucs team led by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden and teammates openly grumbled about Robbins in the aftermath.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Judy Garland grumbled into a tape recorder in the mid-nineteen-sixties.
—Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Veterans on the starting defense grumbled.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Dallas stumbled, fumbled and grumbled its way to a 122-92 loss, which was somehow not its most lopsided game of the season.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
As a result, many in the baseball world have grumbled and groaned about the massive spending Los Angeles is doing on the open market.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The 59-year-old grumbled that gladhanding throngs of supporters in dusty villages had left him prey to bugs and viruses.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
Aura grumbled along with her classmates.
—Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Robbins was replaced at center by Adam Treu, the Raiders lost 48-21 to a Bucs team led by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden and teammates openly grumbled about Robbins in the aftermath.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Judy Garland grumbled into a tape recorder in the mid-nineteen-sixties.
—Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Veterans on the starting defense grumbled.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Dallas stumbled, fumbled and grumbled its way to a 122-92 loss, which was somehow not its most lopsided game of the season.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
As a result, many in the baseball world have grumbled and groaned about the massive spending Los Angeles is doing on the open market.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The 59-year-old grumbled that gladhanding throngs of supporters in dusty villages had left him prey to bugs and viruses.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumbled
Verb
-
Staff have complained that the current audio system periodically malfunctions during public comment or while City Council members are speaking from the dais.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
The issue of high ticket costs and resale scalping has been a topic of discussion among state and federal leaders for years, after the matter was thrust into the zeitgeist when fans complained about ticket sales for Taylor Swift's Eras concert tour.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Mira growled into her watch, excitedly.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The wereboar growled next to Black Pudding, a hulking vicious monster, both focused on ripping Puck and Cordelia to shreds.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His confidence wasn’t loud, but his steady production screamed franchise pillar.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Akinsulie screamed as the dog tore the flesh from his ankle, thighs, hip and wrist.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Heavy equipment rumbled away on what is now red clay, no longer road asphalt, at the site Tuesday.—
Joe Marusak
May 14,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
-
Trainor’s family and friends had followed the 30-year-old officer’s casket in a motorcade that rumbled through Federal Street, up to the church’s front doors.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Traffic hummed and whined on I-85.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
-
Second, in a report of their own, the pro-business commissioners whined that all of this was unfair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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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.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumbled. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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