as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
had the spunk to overcome a severe physical disability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spunk
Those recordings hold up for their crystalline sound and youthful spunk.
—
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Further, students should embrace their true voice in the letter, showing their quirks, personality, and spunk.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Like things could change for the better if only a few teenagers with the right balance of spunk and smarts showed up.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Think of Usher’s costume-leaning spunk, Erykah Badu’s eccentricity, Teyana Taylor’s punk sensibility, Lauryn Hill’s just-go-for-it attitude, and Gunna who is experimental at times.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spunk
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Further, students should embrace their true voice in the letter, showing their quirks, personality, and spunk.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Like things could change for the better if only a few teenagers with the right balance of spunk and smarts showed up.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Think of Usher’s costume-leaning spunk, Erykah Badu’s eccentricity, Teyana Taylor’s punk sensibility, Lauryn Hill’s just-go-for-it attitude, and Gunna who is experimental at times.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spunk
Noun
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Harry brought his trademark humor and warmth to the awards, a ceremony honoring seriously ill children who have shown incredible courage, joking and making smiles all around.—
Erin Hill,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The WellChild Awards, which celebrates the courage of seriously ill children and those who care for them, is sponsored by a charity Harry has long supported.—
Janelle Ash , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chef’s specialties include cast iron cinnamon rolls and ancho chile ceasar salad, alongside oysters on the half shell and shallot shrimp grits.—
Rai Mincey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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If the leaves are especially dirty, soak in cold water, gently agitating them to loosen dirt and grit.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is a testament to her mental fortitude, perhaps strongest of the three.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With Julian, Kusters has made an impressive, understated directorial debut about love, loss and the bravery required to keep trying to live in an unfair world.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
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Interpreting fall 2025 runways’ animal print trend on a more literal level, Tyla also went with Pandora Talisman collection picks like the Swallow Medallion Charm and Lion Medallion Charm, representative of hope and bravery, respectively.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By blending athlete-like stamina with surgeon-level dexterity, KAERI is charting a path toward robotic first responders capable of tackling nuclear, disaster, and industrial challenges with unmatched safety.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
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After all, Miami seemingly has stamina to withstand searing heat after practicing in it all summer, while the opponent typically comes to town ill-prepared for the oppressive temperatures and humidity.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Two of Pluto's midsize moons may be made of the guts of its largest moon, Charon, new research suggests.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Still today, bacteria living in vertebrate guts form coprostanol by metabolizing cholesterol, and coprostanol is typically released into the environment as waste product (curiously enough, human feces are especially enriched in coprostanol).—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Wolf’s new deal is a testament to his determination.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Her strength of character, artistic vision, and fierce determination remain profoundly inspiring today.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spunk. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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