grind down
phrasal verb
ground down; grinding down; grinds down
1
: to make (something hard) smaller and smoother by gradually rubbing off tiny bits
The old dog's teeth had been ground down by use.
2
: to weaken or destroy (someone or something) gradually
Poverty ground her spirit down.
These people have been ground down by years of oppression.
Examples of grind down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Danny Wilcox Frazier for NBC News Some in the Quad Cities are concerned that there will be little margin in a major severe weather outbreak and that long hours will grind down the 14-person staff down over time, leaving the community vulnerable.
—
Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 June 2025
Excel on special teams Florida’s game is built on creating steady pressure at five-on-five, being relentless on the forecheck and grinding down the opposition for a full 60 minutes.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
The ruling at first raised hopes in financial markets that a hamstrung Trump would not be able to drive the economy into a recession with his tariffs, which had threatened to grind down on global trade and raise prices for consumers already sick of high inflation.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
But tariffs threaten to grind down growth for the U.S. and other economies while exacerbating inflation, which appears to have become stuck stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind down
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 June 2025
Excel on special teams Florida’s game is built on creating steady pressure at five-on-five, being relentless on the forecheck and grinding down the opposition for a full 60 minutes.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
The ruling at first raised hopes in financial markets that a hamstrung Trump would not be able to drive the economy into a recession with his tariffs, which had threatened to grind down on global trade and raise prices for consumers already sick of high inflation.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
But tariffs threaten to grind down growth for the U.S. and other economies while exacerbating inflation, which appears to have become stuck stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind down
Cite this Entry
“Grind down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20down. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share