as in cynic
a person who spoils the pleasure of others
accused the mayor of being a grinch after he cancelled the city's annual holiday parade for budgetary reasons
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Recent Examples of grinch
Tired of looking like the grinch (can't help the hair).
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The Pompano Beach, Fla. doesn’t play grinch alone; Veeze, Lil Yachty, Rob49, Juvenile, and B.G. also appear on the project.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Buy Now 08 of 26 'How My Neighbor Stole Christmas' by Meghan Quinn
A neighborhood grinch learns the true meaning of Christmas courtesy of his sunshiny neighbor in How My Neighbor Stole Christmas.
—Sabienna Bowman, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
But seriously, the Freedom Caucus and anti-establishment wing that ousted McCarthy over cutting that initial spending deal stands ready to be the grinch in this scenario.
—Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
Which brings us to this Christmas and a pernicious grinch named COVID who has teamed up with the Grim Reaper to batter us with waves of record-setting deaths, a resurgence of jobless claims and another lockdown here and in much of California.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2020
Does the sentimentality of the golden age Miracle on 34th Street (or its 1994 remake) warm the cockles of a grinch-like heart?
—Jordan Wilson, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Dec. 2019
Consider this my public service announcement one for all the grinches, the recluses, and sufferers of seasonal affective disorder.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 20 Dec. 2019
Only California, Hawaii and Nevada are bigger grinches, the study found.
—David Selig, sun-sentinel.com, 10 Dec. 2019
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The Pompano Beach, Fla. doesn’t play grinch alone; Veeze, Lil Yachty, Rob49, Juvenile, and B.G. also appear on the project.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Buy Now 08 of 26 'How My Neighbor Stole Christmas' by Meghan Quinn
A neighborhood grinch learns the true meaning of Christmas courtesy of his sunshiny neighbor in How My Neighbor Stole Christmas.
—Sabienna Bowman, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
But seriously, the Freedom Caucus and anti-establishment wing that ousted McCarthy over cutting that initial spending deal stands ready to be the grinch in this scenario.
—Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
Which brings us to this Christmas and a pernicious grinch named COVID who has teamed up with the Grim Reaper to batter us with waves of record-setting deaths, a resurgence of jobless claims and another lockdown here and in much of California.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2020
Does the sentimentality of the golden age Miracle on 34th Street (or its 1994 remake) warm the cockles of a grinch-like heart?
—Jordan Wilson, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Dec. 2019
Consider this my public service announcement one for all the grinches, the recluses, and sufferers of seasonal affective disorder.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 20 Dec. 2019
Only California, Hawaii and Nevada are bigger grinches, the study found.
—David Selig, sun-sentinel.com, 10 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinch
Noun
-
All one needs is to read the headlines today, 45 years down the road, to see that sometimes cynics have a point.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
-
The cynics say the wildfires are the death knell of the film business.—
Todd Heyman,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
-
The reason for the changes, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday, was the center's decision to host drag show performances at its venue.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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That’s what was needed — a gay person who wasn’t dying, who was lively and running around doing drag, being funny, being outrageous.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Within the dog-button community, Horowitz is regarded as a killjoy.—
Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2025
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Esther is the original feminist killjoy — acerbic, brilliant, obsessive, confrontational, deeply relatable.—
Jillian Eugenios,
NBC News,
29 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There’s the obligatory seafood tower ($115), which depending on the season might include shucked oysters, spiny lobster, Santa Barbara uni and succulent chunks of Dungeness crab.—
John Metcalfe,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Cancers, symbolized by the crab, are notorious for being nurturing, protective, and moody.—
Maya Layne,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Suddenly, the Republicans were the spoilsports who couldn’t take the joke, a position stereotypically held by politically correct liberals.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vox,
9 Aug. 2024
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Millennial workers are increasingly becoming the office spoilsports, with young people increasingly likely to be in it for the money rather than for fun, as years of economic turmoil force them to keep their heads down, collect their monthly paychecks, and fight for a promotion.—
BYRyan Hogg,
Fortune Europe,
26 June 2024
Noun
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The man in the chef’s hat bore Meatball, a loud Italian American meatball who calmed hospital patients and veterans through a nest of spaghetti.—
Peter Rubin,
Longreads,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Sequences of Elvira starving herself and obsessing over her weight bore the points down like a drill, though the screenplay could do more to explore the lead’s subjectivity and how her self-lacerating pursuit of beauty is becoming infectious to all around her.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Despite his literal change of heart, the Grinch continues to symbolize holiday party poopers everywhere.—
Mike Miller,
People.com,
19 Dec. 2024
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Mosquitoes are, in fact, hellish little bugs that take the gold for summer’s biggest party poopers.—
Katie Camero,
SELF,
25 July 2024
Noun
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Misty is a bit of a wet blanket, so Callie drugs her with some cold medicine in her drink; soon, she’s passed out on the sofa.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
14 Feb. 2025
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Assassin's Creed 3 After a whole trilogy led by the suave Ezio, Assassin's Creed III's Connor felt like a wet blanket.—
John Mac Ghlionn,
Newsweek,
13 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinch. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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