as in careful
said, done, or given in an unwilling or doubtful way
Her theories have begun to win grudging acceptance in the scientific community. He has earned the grudging admiration/respect of his rivals.
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Recent Examples of grudging
Fran Quigley, Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2015
Ben Ali retained grudging support throughout the 1990s because of the bloody civil war in neighboring Algeria between its secular single-party regime and its own Islamist opposition.
—Michele Penner Angrist, Foreign Affairs, 16 Jan. 2011
Things were going fair to middling with his candidacy until Biden’s catastrophic, catatonic debate performance in June, which caused a major Democratic freak-out and resulted in his grudging departure from the ticket and endorsement of Harris.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Nobody seemed to regard the idea as brilliant, and in general responses ranged from grudging acceptance to shocked scorn.
—Eric Gordy, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2018
See all Example Sentences for grudging 
Adjective
Negotiations over such intellectual property can mean the difference between antiretroviral medicine that costs over $10,000 per year—the price originally set in the 1990s by monopoly patent holders—and the eventual grudging concessions that dropped the drug prices to less than a dollar a day.
—Fran Quigley, Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2015
Ben Ali retained grudging support throughout the 1990s because of the bloody civil war in neighboring Algeria between its secular single-party regime and its own Islamist opposition.
—Michele Penner Angrist, Foreign Affairs, 16 Jan. 2011
Things were going fair to middling with his candidacy until Biden’s catastrophic, catatonic debate performance in June, which caused a major Democratic freak-out and resulted in his grudging departure from the ticket and endorsement of Harris.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Nobody seemed to regard the idea as brilliant, and in general responses ranged from grudging acceptance to shocked scorn.
—Eric Gordy, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2018
See all Example Sentences for grudging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grudging
Adjective
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From general manager Kyle Davidson on down, the Blackhawks are always careful not to criticize Jones.Scott Powers, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
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But be careful when scrolling, as the answers are at the end of the article.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And Villanelle has very begrudging respect for this woman.Dan Snierson, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2020
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Philadelphia needs its rookie quarterback, Carson Wentz, to post 300 passing yards for a third consecutive week, because there is no running the ball against the Ravens, who have the most begrudging ground defense in the league.DAVID WHITE, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2016
Adjective
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Allowing China to take Taiwan would also be an economic and geopolitical blow for the U.S., since Taipei is the primary source of semiconductor chips that power smart devices and a friendly economical hub in the Pacific.Brad Dress, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2025
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EVs will be the most economical option for consumers, and by a growing margin.Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures.Jack Smart, People.com, 5 Jan. 2025
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No actor has played him with as much reptilian cruelty and covetous flair as Andrew Scott, either.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Advertisement President Biden, who has a close relationship with Newsom, has pledged that the federal government will cover 100% of disaster assistance costs to California for the next 180 days.Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
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Coincidentally, the Phillies signed former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano after Toronto non-tendered him.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, the pair were convicted of improperly withholding $94 million of that settlement from 440 plaintiffs.Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 23 Dec. 2024
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Only four of the eight Ivy League schools released information about their early admissions this year, as Harvard joined UPenn, Princeton, and Cornell in withholding the majority of their admissions data until the conclusion of this year's admissions season.Christopher Rim, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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According to Howard, comparisons of the two, due to similarities such as he and Shaq both being drafted No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic and playing the center position, led Shaq to become resentful of him.Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Incompatible partners, on harder days, may consistently feel resentful, combative or simply annoyed in one another’s presence.Mark Travers, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The 33-year-old also clarified his relationship with Sayed, denying any romantic involvement in a series of candid posts.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 26 Dec. 2024
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Whatever the purpose, there’s no denying the best carry-on luggage is a traveler’s best ally.Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near grudging
Cite this Entry
“Grudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grudging. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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