1
: the principal force, shock, or stress (as of an attack)
bear the brunt of the storm
the brunt of the struggle with the German army fell upon the Russians—
Walter Lippmann
Walter Lippmann2
: the greater part : burden
Synonyms
Examples of brunt in a Sentence
the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders
Recent Examples on the Web
Western North Carolina bore the brunt, with vast swaths of cities such as Asheville underwater.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
Educators and staff have taken the brunt [of] solving this budget crisis.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
James has seen a shift with the Lakers this season as co-star Anthony Davis has picked up more of the brunt to lead the team.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Even though Scottsdale won’t bear the entire brunt of the cost increase, the ballooning price tag reignited concerns from local leaders about Scottsdale’s ability to effectively plan projects — something that’s been called into question multiple times over the past two years.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brunt 
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.
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
Educators and staff have taken the brunt [of] solving this budget crisis.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
James has seen a shift with the Lakers this season as co-star Anthony Davis has picked up more of the brunt to lead the team.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Even though Scottsdale won’t bear the entire brunt of the cost increase, the ballooning price tag reignited concerns from local leaders about Scottsdale’s ability to effectively plan projects — something that’s been called into question multiple times over the past two years.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brunt
Dictionary Entries Near brunt
Cite this Entry
“Brunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brunt. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brunt
noun
: the main force or stress (as of an attack)
the brunt of the storm
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share