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
Zelensky knows that in the long run, Russia’s superior numbers and weaponry will grind down Ukrainian resistance.
—
Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Still, the voice of Ethel, who has yet to be ground down by the traumas that eventually turn her into a symbol of female victimhood, has never been clearer.
—Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Soundtrack Movies All month, Criterion Channel The ’90s witnessed a music upheaval not seen since the ’60s — hip hop, punk, metal, indie rock, and electronica all went mainstream without grinding down their jagged edges.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2025
Whether Democrats have a chance to retake the Senate, or even to grind down the GOP majority to a place where the handful of Republican MAGA dissenters like Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska could effectively block legislation, comes down to the primaries in two red states: Texas and Georgia.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind down
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Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Still, the voice of Ethel, who has yet to be ground down by the traumas that eventually turn her into a symbol of female victimhood, has never been clearer.
—Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Soundtrack Movies All month, Criterion Channel The ’90s witnessed a music upheaval not seen since the ’60s — hip hop, punk, metal, indie rock, and electronica all went mainstream without grinding down their jagged edges.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2025
Whether Democrats have a chance to retake the Senate, or even to grind down the GOP majority to a place where the handful of Republican MAGA dissenters like Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska could effectively block legislation, comes down to the primaries in two red states: Texas and Georgia.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 1 Aug. 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 1 Oct. 2025.
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