brunt

noun

ˈbrənt How to pronounce brunt (audio)
Definition of bruntnext
as in weight
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brunt Why young workers bear the brunt The mechanism isn’t mysterious. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 June 2026 Smaller investors, drawn by the excitement, often bear the brunt of subsequent declines. — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Healthcare took the brunt of the cuts, with doctors expecting delays for non-emergency services, even as the county preserved life-saving healthcare. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 Target has also been the subject of backlash over its actions on a number of social justice issues, and the brunt of that has fallen on Cornell. — Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for brunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brunt
  1. weight
  2. body
  3. bulk
  4. core
  5. majority
  6. burden
  7. chief
Noun
  • Some look at a 69-68 record and disagree, but Crane’s is the only opinion that carries any weight.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Intermittent fasting is a popular dietary approach that many people follow to manage their weight.
    — Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of weight
Noun
  • The eight-member body oversees McCuskey’s work and consists of four Democratic and four Republican legislators, including Keicher.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than just a reproductive issue, endometriosis is a whole-body condition, affecting everything from emotional regulation to hormone production and gut health.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of body
Noun
  • In developing a multitool to slide neatly into its latest generation of EDC offerings, The James Brand took time to reflect upon which tools were absolutely necessary for its customers and which ones could be eliminated to cut bulk and excess.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This is hidden beneath the leather, adding extra protection without any visible bulk.
    — Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of bulk
Noun
  • At its core, Vermejo is a conservation laboratory developing the blueprint for rewilding in North America—the tourism element simply helps to fund it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
  • To create objects with collapsibility as a core feature, Toyonaga’s team devised an analytic design algorithm allowing incremental construction of complex scissored surfaces.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of core
Noun
  • The majority of the patch’s family-friendly activities are open during the festival, save for its corn maze.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the company excluded the majority of those harms from its public reports, designing its metrics so that many of the worst encounters were never captured.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of majority
Noun
  • Federal guidance for public schools expressly recognizes that a teacher may excuse a student from class to relieve a significant burden on religious exercise, giving Muslim students who need to pray during Ramadan as one example.
    — Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine has also tried to make Russian civilians feel the burden of war by hammering major online retailers and oil facilities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of burden
Noun
  • Price increases brought on by climbing input costs factor in to the elevated revenue guidance, Jeff Clarke, Dell's operating chief, said on a conference call with analysts.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • He's widely considered to be close to the chief of the army, which is Pakistan's most powerful institution.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of chief

Browse Nearby Words

brunet
brunt
brunts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brunt. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All