as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a chorus of moans and grumbles when they found out that the overnight camping trip had been cancelled
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he grumbled about how sore his feet were after standing all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grumble
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025
Some members of the conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus publicly grumbled after he was selected to lead the chamber by secret ballot.
—Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
The downside: Some players have grumbled about being gawked at by fans on the grounds.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 27 Feb. 2025
For decades, Yankees players, for the most part, grumbled but complied.
—Marc Edelman, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grumble
Verb
There had been some grumbling that awards voters were struggling with the film’s 3-hour and 35-minute run and were missing the movie’s second act, which is also its strongest, when Erzsébet Tóth, played by Felicity Jones, is introduced.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025
Some members of the conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus publicly grumbled after he was selected to lead the chamber by secret ballot.
—Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
The downside: Some players have grumbled about being gawked at by fans on the grounds.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 27 Feb. 2025
For decades, Yankees players, for the most part, grumbled but complied.
—Marc Edelman, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumble
Noun
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Fritz revved the engine, a desperate, needling whine, and the vessel lurched down the airstrip, the chute billowing awake behind him.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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Families fall asleep to the thump of nearby airstrikes and the constant whine of an Israeli drone overhead.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC News,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Appeals court rules Trump can implement anti-DEI executive orders for now In address about vision for DOJ, Trump complains about prior probes In: Joe Biden Donald Trump January 6 Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2025
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Biden complained when the courts blocked his efforts to forgive student loan debt.—
Graham Underwood,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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That last one, which stalks and growls realistically thanks to a trio of stunningly talented puppeteers, acts as both antagonist and doppelgänger to Pi.—
John Wenzel,
The Denver Post,
20 Mar. 2025
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There’s plenty such wordplay in The Safe House, to the point that the movie can seem like a caricature of overeducated, perpetually growling Parisians shouting for social change, but too self-centered and comfortable in their bourgeois lifestyles to do anything drastic about it.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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None of these moans are intended to dismiss the importance of clever in-jokes and references to past adventures.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2025
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Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And of course, 102 acres on the Pacific Ocean just screams location, location, ad infinitum.—
David Weiss,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Every frequent flier has been there: the seat that doesn’t tilt back, the screaming kids, the sprint between terminals for the connecting flight, and relief at baggage claim that your luggage actually made it.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Amidst tornadoes and other severe weather, a 3.0 earthquake rumbled Magee, Mississippi on Saturday afternoon, southeast of Jackson.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
16 Mar. 2025
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He’s manifested these through violin, piccolo, glockenspiel, and rumbling percussion suggestive of rolling surf, lighting strikes, and thunder.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At the request of residents, ombudsmen work with residents, family members, administrators and other to resolve complaints of residents.—
Joe Rassel,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2025
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Additionally, Daughtry drew scrutiny after his elevation to become deputy commissioner, a civilian position, resulted in the Civilian Complaint Review Board dropping three complaints of misconduct against him last year on the basis that the panel only has oversight of uniformed officers.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumble. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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