grate

verb

Definition of gratenext
1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sled grated along the bare pavement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grit
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound he grated the pieces of metal together

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of grate Hard cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and gouda, however, are better suited for freezing and can be grated and stored for later use. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Then push the zucchini through the large holes of your box grater or plane grater, starting from the top of the grating surface and moving your zucchini to the bottom. — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2026 Crofton Box Grater The classic Crofton Box Grater gives you multiple grating options in one compact kitchen tool. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2026 Instead of slicing and dicing the zucchini, grate it on the large holes of a box grater or the grater attachment of a food processor. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grate
  1. annoy
  2. scratch
  3. grit
  4. bother
  5. scrape
  6. irritate
  7. rub
  8. bug
Verb
  • What annoyed me the most, though, was the way the meditation teachers talked, which tended toward New Age–isms in passive voice.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Not even Jeff being annoyed at Kasandra’s drunkenness can ruin the mood.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • Sunderland, of course, spent heavily last season after coming up from the Championship, and there is a broad consensus that promoted teams need to do so to quickly bring their squads up to scratch.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The upstairs neighbors had two mastiffs who were left home all day and who barked incessantly and scratched at the floor of their kennel.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Bugs Bunny jams himself against the edge and grits his teeth in agony.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But credit Skubal for gritting it out each time, keeping the Dodgers in those three games against the Chicago Cubs, the Kansas City Royals and Brewers.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of grit
Verb
  • The only way Paul managed a point the whole game was with a 136 mph bullet to the corner that Alcaraz didn’t even bother moving for.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Ohtani reported that the area from his biceps to his neck was bothering him Wednesday night, Roberts said.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • The system should be programmed to actively penalize source monopolies, forcing the engine to scrape a healthy mix of technical journalism, independent community forums (like Reddit threads), and video transcripts.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The failure can expose metal from the wheel or other vehicle components, which can scrape against pavement and create sparks or intense heat.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • Leftover detergent or fabric softener can irritate skin and cause itching or redness in some individuals.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Excessive or undiluted consumption of ACV, for example, can irritate your gastrointestinal tract, erode tooth enamel, and potentially interact with certain medications, said Walker.
    — Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Danger, Olivo, and Mosco had just eaten by the gazebo and Damaris was rubbing her pup’s head goodnight, about to go into the shack.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Irwin is uncertain if the second infestation of bed bugs last weekend were ones that weren’t caught the first time, or if a person brought new bed bugs in.
    — Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Not too much bugs him, but he sometimes is annoyed by his baby sister and doesn’t trust people who put pineapple on their pizza.
    — Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of bug

Browse Nearby Words

grass (on)
grate
G-rated
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Cite this Entry

“Grate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grate. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grate

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