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
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
Some involve grinding down your own beans, others do it for you, and some only require popping in a pod and pressing a button.
—Sarah Madaus, Architectural Digest, 20 June 2025
Your back teeth are ground down, these front teeth are, too, and your molars are kind of chipped.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
So that’s our main focus, just grinding down this last stretch.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind down
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Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Some involve grinding down your own beans, others do it for you, and some only require popping in a pod and pressing a button.
—Sarah Madaus, Architectural Digest, 20 June 2025
Your back teeth are ground down, these front teeth are, too, and your molars are kind of chipped.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
So that’s our main focus, just grinding down this last stretch.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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