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
Examples of brunt in a Sentence
the brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders
Recent Examples on the Web
The brave people who bore segregation’s brunt believed that Jim Crow represented an assault on Black life and dignity, and that Brown marked a sea change in Black self-conceptions.
—Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2025
Their most common point of criticism was the idea of water rate payers bearing the financial brunt in covering the city's water infrastructure needs.
—Thomas Saccente, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
As Musk faces blowback, Teslas bear the brunt NBC Boston
As Elon Musk attempts to delve further into the corridors of American power, the tech mogul’s electric-car maker Tesla has come under fire — literally.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025
Through all the rhetoric and debate, one thing is clear: Maryland’s Black children and their families disproportionately bear the brunt and burdens of hyper-criminalization.
—Monique L. Dixon, Baltimore Sun, 29 Jan. 2025
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.
Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2025
Their most common point of criticism was the idea of water rate payers bearing the financial brunt in covering the city's water infrastructure needs.
—Thomas Saccente, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
As Musk faces blowback, Teslas bear the brunt NBC Boston
As Elon Musk attempts to delve further into the corridors of American power, the tech mogul’s electric-car maker Tesla has come under fire — literally.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025
Through all the rhetoric and debate, one thing is clear: Maryland’s Black children and their families disproportionately bear the brunt and burdens of hyper-criminalization.
—Monique L. Dixon, Baltimore Sun, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brunt
Cite this Entry
“Brunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brunt. Accessed 25 Mar. 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