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
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2025
Mascherano did not mince words after the game, harshly criticizing the officials for slapping Falcon with a red card without a video review.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
Looking for an adept slicer that’s great at mincing herbs?
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 July 2025
Suddenly, after years of rhetoric about how AI will augment workers, rather than replace them, many tech CEOs have stopped mincing words.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mince
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Verb
The only chopping required is for the chicken itself, if your butcher doesn’t give you a hand, and to mince the garlic.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2025
Mascherano did not mince words after the game, harshly criticizing the officials for slapping Falcon with a red card without a video review.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
Looking for an adept slicer that’s great at mincing herbs?
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 July 2025
Suddenly, after years of rhetoric about how AI will augment workers, rather than replace them, many tech CEOs have stopped mincing words.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 17 July 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 Aug. 2025.
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