grind away
phrasal verb
ground away; grinding away; grinds away
1
: to work or study in a steady, determined way
She was grinding away at her studies.
2
: to remove (a part of something) by rubbing something rough against it
He uses a special tool to grind away the stone.
Examples of grind away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That overheated preseason hyperbole didn’t make it through the day-to-day challenges of a 162-game season that grinds away at even the most talented roster.
—
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
The training camp in Kazan was no picnic, living in spartan dorm rooms, eating bland food, no one speaking English, grinding away in the gym all day.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Our protagonist, Kinga, forty and single, grinds away at a corporate job.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Despite Ukraine’s stalwart defense, Russia has gained the upper hand on nearly every front, slowly grinding away the Ukrainian armed forces while hopes of a Russian economic collapse remain elusive.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 9 Aug. 2025
Rounding out the top five of the week were Avatar: The Way of Water, grinding away toward its goal of becoming the biggest film of all time, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2025
How well-covered is the charging portal, or will dust, mud, and rain grind away at the insides?
—Stephanie Pearson, Wired News, 19 July 2025
While the sisters have been grinding away at it since 2022, their AGT spot comes as Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter world tour continues to shine a bright light on the Black origins of country music.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 July 2025
That means some fans have already been grinding away on their MyCareer players, building up their fantasy MyTeams and perusing the game’s vast selection of sneakers.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
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Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
The training camp in Kazan was no picnic, living in spartan dorm rooms, eating bland food, no one speaking English, grinding away in the gym all day.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Our protagonist, Kinga, forty and single, grinds away at a corporate job.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Despite Ukraine’s stalwart defense, Russia has gained the upper hand on nearly every front, slowly grinding away the Ukrainian armed forces while hopes of a Russian economic collapse remain elusive.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 9 Aug. 2025
Rounding out the top five of the week were Avatar: The Way of Water, grinding away toward its goal of becoming the biggest film of all time, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2025
How well-covered is the charging portal, or will dust, mud, and rain grind away at the insides?
—Stephanie Pearson, Wired News, 19 July 2025
While the sisters have been grinding away at it since 2022, their AGT spot comes as Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter world tour continues to shine a bright light on the Black origins of country music.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 July 2025
That means some fans have already been grinding away on their MyCareer players, building up their fantasy MyTeams and perusing the game’s vast selection of sneakers.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Grind away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20away. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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