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
Employers added 151,000 jobs in February, a solid but unspectacular number, the Labor Department reported Friday, providing a snapshot of a labor market that has recovered from January’s bitter cold and has not yet felt the full brunt of the Department of Government Efficiency.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
The historian said in many ways, 160 years later, the country appears to be echoing the same backlash that occurred after Black Americans made modest gains towards equality following Reconstruction – and vulnerable people, like trans Americans, are once again bearing the brunt.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
The brave people who bore segregation’s brunt believed that Jim Crow represented an assault on Black life and dignity, and that Brown marked a sea change in Black self-conceptions.
—Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2025
Their most common point of criticism was the idea of water rate payers bearing the financial brunt in covering the city's water infrastructure needs.
—Thomas Saccente, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brunt
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Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
The historian said in many ways, 160 years later, the country appears to be echoing the same backlash that occurred after Black Americans made modest gains towards equality following Reconstruction – and vulnerable people, like trans Americans, are once again bearing the brunt.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
The brave people who bore segregation’s brunt believed that Jim Crow represented an assault on Black life and dignity, and that Brown marked a sea change in Black self-conceptions.
—Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2025
Their most common point of criticism was the idea of water rate payers bearing the financial brunt in covering the city's water infrastructure needs.
—Thomas Saccente, arkansasonline.com, 11 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 7 Apr. 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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