minced; mincing
1
a
: to cut or chop into very small pieces
She minced the garlic.
b
: to subdivide minutely
especially
: to damage by cutting up
The director minced up the play.
2
: to utter or pronounce with affectation
minced the word in the manner of the old lady
3
a
archaic
: minimize
b
: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
minced no words in stating his dislike—
J. T. Farrell
J. T. Farrell
: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
The comedian minced across the stage.
mincer
noun
1
: small chopped bits (as of food)
specifically
: mincemeat
2
British
: hamburger sense 1a
Examples of mince in a Sentence
Verb
She minced the onions.
minced some garlic and added it to the stew
Recent Examples on the Web
Malaka Gharib, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Markle, however, has not minced words.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 Oct. 2025
Since their 23-9 win Sunday against the Browns, the Steelers have not minced words when describing the playing surface for the game.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In an email interview, Gingrich did not mince words in expressing his negative view of SLS.
—Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mince
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Verb
Gently heat a small saucepan over medium-low and add the oil and minced garlic.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Markle, however, has not minced words.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 Oct. 2025
Since their 23-9 win Sunday against the Browns, the Steelers have not minced words when describing the playing surface for the game.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In an email interview, Gingrich did not mince words in expressing his negative view of SLS.
—Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mince
Cite this Entry
“Mince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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