grubbed; grubbing
1
a
: to dig in the ground especially for something that is difficult to find or extract
b
: to search about
grubbed in the countryside for food—
Lamp
Lamp
grubber
noun
Synonyms
Examples of grub in a Sentence
Verb
Everyone was grubbing for whatever food they could find.
students grubbing for better grades
Noun
Let's go get some grub.
after the game, we headed to the diner for some hearty grub
Recent Examples on the WebDavid Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2024
His bill is small, yet strong—perfect for grubbing about underwater for aquatic bugs, worms, snails, crayfish, and small mollusks.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
Politics McCarthy’s vow to open Biden impeachment probe puts vulnerable California Republicans in a tough spot
Sept. 12, 2023
His son Hunter, the subject of a special counsel investigation, may have shamelessly grubbed for money by trading on the family name.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Money-grubbing developers don’t care about residents.
—Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023
No henchmen of adversarial intelligence services or money-grubbing fraudsters are going to abide by such a magnanimous international accord—even if governments or corporations pay it lip service.
—Robert Hackett, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2020
In its prickliness and insistence on the messiness and ineluctable pain of life, this is very different from the pandering, gold-grubbing titles that tend to hit theaters starting around now.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2019
Get our daily newsletter China’s freewheeling internet users hand plenty of precious information over to the country’s data-grubbing apps.
—The Economist, 7 Sep. 2019
Sonny’s Everyman tale revives the hope that cinema might still be a popular art form, even as the movie year heads into its ugliest, platitudinous, awards-grubbing phase.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2019
Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
Their short, muscled limbs and four-inch claws can break apart rotting logs for grubs and beetles, and dig for worms, boosting decomposition and cycling nutrients in the thin topsoil.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
From hair-thin worms to giant grubs, deer live with a variety of parasites that might make your skin crawl.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024
On weekends, partiers pack in for live music and hearty pub grub—order a pie or the fish and chips with dill tartar and mint mushy peas.
—Ann Marie McQueen, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2023
What: Live music, specialty drinks and classic Irish grub, including bangers and mash, corned beef sandwiches, shepherd's pie and green cotton candy.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024
The weevil’s young (grubs) eat the roots, turning them into a stinky, liquid pool.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Crankbaits, grubs, jigs and soft plastic worms are on the list.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
There are so many sorts of Michelin mentions, but then there's also these amazing little pubs, um, and, and cafes, which are really serving sort of good old, hearty northern grub using the best produce in the area.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2024
Verb
So much of the story takes place firmly in and on the ground, whether its characters are grubbing around the countryside or descending six feet under.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2024
His bill is small, yet strong—perfect for grubbing about underwater for aquatic bugs, worms, snails, crayfish, and small mollusks.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
Politics McCarthy’s vow to open Biden impeachment probe puts vulnerable California Republicans in a tough spot
Sept. 12, 2023
His son Hunter, the subject of a special counsel investigation, may have shamelessly grubbed for money by trading on the family name.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Money-grubbing developers don’t care about residents.
—Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023
No henchmen of adversarial intelligence services or money-grubbing fraudsters are going to abide by such a magnanimous international accord—even if governments or corporations pay it lip service.
—Robert Hackett, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2020
In its prickliness and insistence on the messiness and ineluctable pain of life, this is very different from the pandering, gold-grubbing titles that tend to hit theaters starting around now.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2019
Get our daily newsletter China’s freewheeling internet users hand plenty of precious information over to the country’s data-grubbing apps.
—The Economist, 7 Sep. 2019
Sonny’s Everyman tale revives the hope that cinema might still be a popular art form, even as the movie year heads into its ugliest, platitudinous, awards-grubbing phase.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2019
Noun
Forget avocado toast and chai lattes, because Bob’s is all about traditional grub.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
Their short, muscled limbs and four-inch claws can break apart rotting logs for grubs and beetles, and dig for worms, boosting decomposition and cycling nutrients in the thin topsoil.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
From hair-thin worms to giant grubs, deer live with a variety of parasites that might make your skin crawl.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024
On weekends, partiers pack in for live music and hearty pub grub—order a pie or the fish and chips with dill tartar and mint mushy peas.
—Ann Marie McQueen, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2023
What: Live music, specialty drinks and classic Irish grub, including bangers and mash, corned beef sandwiches, shepherd's pie and green cotton candy.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024
The weevil’s young (grubs) eat the roots, turning them into a stinky, liquid pool.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Crankbaits, grubs, jigs and soft plastic worms are on the list.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
There are so many sorts of Michelin mentions, but then there's also these amazing little pubs, um, and, and cafes, which are really serving sort of good old, hearty northern grub using the best produce in the area.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English grubben; akin to Old English grafan to dig — more at grave
Noun
Middle English grubbe, from grubben
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of grub was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing grub
Articles Related to grub
Dictionary Entries Near grub
Cite this Entry
“Grub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grub. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
grub
2 of 2 noun1
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect (as a beetle)
2
a
b
: an untidy or dirty person
3
Medical Definition
grub
noun
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect
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