: cartilage
broadly
: tough cartilaginous, tendinous, or fibrous matter especially in table meats
Examples of gristle in a Sentence
a cheap piece of meat, full of gristle and fat
Recent Examples on the Web
The cub felt like gristle, taut, like a spasmed muscle in my arms.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
His review begins with Giuseppe Garibaldi, on the beach at Marsala, bootsoles in the saltwhite shallows, wind in his beard gristle.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
But the soul of the tour, its gristle and fiber, is that mass of players who grind it out from week to week, fighting to make the cut and aiming for that occasional great round or successful tournament as the impetus that keeps them going.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 Feb. 2026
David Berding / Getty Images MINNEAPOLIS — The memory sits in the back of Jaden McDaniels’ brain, stuck there like some chicken gristle in his teeth from his favorite plate of fettuccine alfredo.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gristle
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Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
His review begins with Giuseppe Garibaldi, on the beach at Marsala, bootsoles in the saltwhite shallows, wind in his beard gristle.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
But the soul of the tour, its gristle and fiber, is that mass of players who grind it out from week to week, fighting to make the cut and aiming for that occasional great round or successful tournament as the impetus that keeps them going.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 Feb. 2026
David Berding / Getty Images MINNEAPOLIS — The memory sits in the back of Jaden McDaniels’ brain, stuck there like some chicken gristle in his teeth from his favorite plate of fettuccine alfredo.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gristle
Cite this Entry
“Gristle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gristle. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gristle
noun
gris·tle
ˈgris-əl 
: tough chewy matter in meat served as food that is composed usually of cartilage
gristly
adjective
ˈgris-(ə-)lē
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