gravel

verb

graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling ˈgra-v(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to cover or spread with gravel

2

a

: perplex, confound

b

: irritate, nettle

… disappointed … and graveled him a good deal …

—Mark Twain

Synonyms of gravel

• baffle
• puzzle
• confuse
• bewilder
• perplex
• muddy
• maze

Examples of gravel in a Sentence

managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples

Recent Examples on the Web

Crews laid 15,000 tons of material, from drainage to gravel to sand, and then topped it with the fresh grass pitch. —Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026

Also, reusing local rubble reduces the carbon emissions from transporting heavy sand and gravel across long distances. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026

That residential development may include some level of mining for sand and gravel for future builds. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026

Mix some sand and gravel into the potting mix to improve drainage. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gravel

• gravel-blind

Rhymes for gravel

• caval
• cavil
• gavel
• travel
• unravel

Kids Definition

gravel

1 of 3 noun

grav·​el ˈgrav-əl 

: small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand

gravel

2 of 3 adjective

: gravelly sense 2

gravel

3 of 3 verb

graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling

ˈgrav-(ə-)liŋ

: to cover or spread with gravel

Medical Definition

gravel

noun

grav·​el ˈgrav-əl 

1

: a deposit of small calculous concretions in the kidneys and urinary bladder compare microlith

2

: the condition that results from the presence of deposits of gravel