1
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
the store manager always asked the brawniest person there to do the heavy lifting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sinewy
marked by a well-developed musculature
brawny arms that weren't developed in the gym but by years of work in the construction business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a tough little boy who's going to be a brawny man someday
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brawny
The 331-mile trail in Kiso Valley provides respite with its brawny cedar and cypress trees but also serves a functional purpose.
—
Haley Harrison, AFAR Media, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether that brawny youth can bring that sort of unbridled thinking under real-race weights, in real tack, against real, experienced racehorses that have won multiple stakes remains to be seen.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Plus, the latest electrics have the brawny, boxlike styling that consumers seek.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2025
Queen is a brawny, physical big who muscled through opponents to average 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds this season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Haley Harrison, AFAR Media, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether that brawny youth can bring that sort of unbridled thinking under real-race weights, in real tack, against real, experienced racehorses that have won multiple stakes remains to be seen.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Plus, the latest electrics have the brawny, boxlike styling that consumers seek.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2025
Queen is a brawny, physical big who muscled through opponents to average 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds this season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawny
Adjective
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Meantime my 12- and 13-year-old boys were now becoming young men, taller and heavier and in some cases impressively muscular.—
J.T. Barbarese,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
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These edits were designed to express dire wolf characteristics, including larger size, more muscular build, thicker coat, and distinctive coat coloration.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The glimpses of Wahlberg's happy family life with their children Ella, Michael, Brendan and Grace included the Oscar nominee posing with them at various athletic events, enjoying time in and on the water, and, in the first slide, holding a bunch of balloons in both hands.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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Wheeling University athletic director Carrie Hanna did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
-
This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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With over 350 works spanning 10 centuries, ‘Kings and Queens of Africa’ is a powerful tribute to the continent’s enduring artistic and cultural legacy.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 June 2025
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Conservatives in the country are distrustful of China and see Lee as too friendly with the powerful neighbor.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Groups were scaling the 30-foot steel border fence with rope ladders, or crawling through gaps sawed into the old steel mesh fencing, hundreds of people a day in a 20-mile stretch starting at the rugged mountainside of Mt. Cristo Rey.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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After a rugged childhood without electricity or indoor plumbing, Robertson earned a football scholarship to Louisiana Tech University.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Two coppers in an unmarked car, cheery, burly, aftershave competing, picked me up from my home and drove me to a police station a hundred and fifty-odd miles away.—
Sarah Beckwith,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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This burly mat is 4 inches thick and weighs 4 pounds, offering plenty of cushioning and support.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The small but mighty battery recharges with an external cord.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2025
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The mighty sun will dance into Gemini on May 20, invigorating our lives with a sense of curiosity and adventure.—
Kyle Thomas,
People.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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This is a beefy AI workstation with an Nvidia GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip, cramming server-grade Grace Blackwell hardware into a single motherboard.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2025
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An older, beefy man stands by the window, holding a walkie-talkie close to his ear and anxiously glancing up and down the street where cars and military vehicles pass by.—
Isobel Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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