grist for one's/the mill
idiom
US
: something that can be used for a particular purpose
Now that he's a writer, he regards his difficult childhood experiences as grist for the mill.
Examples of grist for one's/the mill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, these errors have been grist for the mill for those who are making hay of AI while the sun shines on its promise.
—
Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Those are just intermediary steps that are merely grist for the mill.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
My encounters with dancing baseball players and rotating snow brooms were not grist for the mill of public discussion; this experience was unique to me.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2025
For Ephron, any experience, no matter how silly or tragic, was grist for the mill.
—Ariela Gittlen, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
The Hernandez story even became grist for the mill of comedy during the roast of Hernandez’s old teammate, Tom Brady, earlier this year.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2024
Of course, whether The Bear should be competing as a comedy has been grist for the mill since at least Season 2.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 15 Sep. 2024
Leaks of this sort are grist for the mill of a free press.
—Michael Walzer, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Haters become grist for the mill, emboldening fan armies to double down on their general’s behalf.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
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.
Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Those are just intermediary steps that are merely grist for the mill.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
My encounters with dancing baseball players and rotating snow brooms were not grist for the mill of public discussion; this experience was unique to me.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2025
For Ephron, any experience, no matter how silly or tragic, was grist for the mill.
—Ariela Gittlen, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
The Hernandez story even became grist for the mill of comedy during the roast of Hernandez’s old teammate, Tom Brady, earlier this year.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2024
Of course, whether The Bear should be competing as a comedy has been grist for the mill since at least Season 2.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 15 Sep. 2024
Leaks of this sort are grist for the mill of a free press.
—Michael Walzer, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Haters become grist for the mill, emboldening fan armies to double down on their general’s behalf.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Grist for one's/the mill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grist%20for%20one%27s%2Fthe%20mill. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share