1
: to prepare (oneself) for action
2
a
: to encircle or bind with a flexible band (such as a belt)
b
: to make (something, such as clothing or a sword ) fast or secure (as with a cord or belt)
gird a sword by a belt
c
: surround
: to prepare for action
Both sides are girding for battle.
: a sarcastic remark
Examples of gird in a Sentence
Verb (1)
for the celebration of the heroes' return, well-wishers girded hundreds of trees with yellow ribbons
she girded her waist with a delicate sash
the Spartan warrior girded himself for battle with sword and shield
a tall hedge girds the exclusive estate and shields it from prying eyes
Noun
in her farewell speech, the departing governor got in some retaliatory girds at the media
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Rose, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling rebuked a Northwest Side alderman who expressed skepticism this week about Chicago’s year-over-year crime declines as the city girds itself ahead of a possible deployment of National Guard troops.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Trump is girding for post-Labor Day clashes with House and Senate Democrats when lawmakers return to Washington ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government funded.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025
There’s also a love triangle involving Bull, Honey, and a snooty Borzoi (Beck Bennett) which is meant to gird all of the self-conscious raunchiness with rom-com sweetness, and somehow makes the whole affair feel even more phony and half-baked.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gird
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Verb
Palestinian health authorities said further Israeli airstrikes and shelling across the Gaza Strip had killed at least 100 people on Tuesday, 35 of them in Gaza City in the enclave's north as Israeli forces girded for the offensive.
—Emily Rose, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling rebuked a Northwest Side alderman who expressed skepticism this week about Chicago’s year-over-year crime declines as the city girds itself ahead of a possible deployment of National Guard troops.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Trump is girding for post-Labor Day clashes with House and Senate Democrats when lawmakers return to Washington ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government funded.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025
There’s also a love triangle involving Bull, Honey, and a snooty Borzoi (Beck Bennett) which is meant to gird all of the self-conscious raunchiness with rom-com sweetness, and somehow makes the whole affair feel even more phony and half-baked.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gird
Cite this Entry
“Gird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gird. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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