grinder

noun

grind·​er ˈgrīn-dər 

1

a

: molar

b

grinders plural : teeth

2

: one that grinds

3

: a machine or device for grinding

4

: submarine entry 2 sense 2

5

: an athlete who succeeds through hard work and determination rather than exceptional skill

Synonyms of grinder

• submarine
• hero
• sub
• torpedo

Examples of grinder in a Sentence

ordered a meatball grinder from the beach's concession stand

Recent Examples on the Web

Eruzione was a grinder, a ham-and-egger, the son of a pizza shop bartender and sewage plant worker from Winthrop, Mass. —Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2025

Johnston tied it 13 seconds later with a redirection of Radko Gudas' slap shot for the fourth-line grinder's second goal, but Protas scored on a fat rebound moments later. —CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025

Pérez is the definition of a grinder, as he's played at least one minor-league game in every season since 2008, with the obvious exception of 2020, when the season was canceled for all affiliate leagues. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

This grinder is compact and easy to store. —Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing grinder

• organ-grinder

Rhymes for grinder

• binder
• blinder
• finder
• kinder
• minder
• pinder
• bookbinder
• factfinder
• pathfinder
• reminder
• sidewinder
• viewfinder

Kids Definition

grinder

noun

grind·​er ˈgrīn-dər 

1

: one that grinds

2

: a large sandwich on a long split roll