grind down

verb

ground down; grinding down; grinds down

transitive

1

: to make (something hard) smaller and smoother by gradual rubbing

2

: to weaken or destroy gradually

Poverty ground her spirit down.

Examples of grind down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than airing it out, the Black Knights rely on quarterback keepers, fullback dives and option pitches to grind down opposing defenses, dominate time of possession and keep the clock moving. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Both drought and heavy rainfall in coffee-producing countries such as Brazil, Vietnam and Costa Rica have ground down coffee bean yields. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is a Heisman Trophy favorite for Ohio State, but Indiana’s defense can grind down the best of opponents under Curt Cignetti’s brooding eye. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Healthy teeth are ground down to nubs to make room for veneers. — Danielle Pergament, Allure, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grind down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown