grind away
phrasal verb
ground away; grinding away; grinds away
1
: to work or study in a steady, determined way
She was grinding away at her studies.
2
: to remove (a part of something) by rubbing something rough against it
He uses a special tool to grind away the stone.
Examples of grind away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The arch was formed by centuries of harsh wind and high seas grinding away at the Calcarenite stone cliffs of Italy’s Puglia region, on the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea.
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Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Once the cutting wheel begins to make contact with the stump, move it from side to side and forward and back as needed to slowly grind away the tree stump.
—Steven John, Architectural Digest, 13 Feb. 2026
Discussions kept grinding away, quietly.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s four-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
The rumor mill was grinding away ahead of Metallica’s lone show in the Sunshine State.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2025
That overheated preseason hyperbole didn’t make it through the day-to-day challenges of a 162-game season that grinds away at even the most talented roster.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
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Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Once the cutting wheel begins to make contact with the stump, move it from side to side and forward and back as needed to slowly grind away the tree stump.
—Steven John, Architectural Digest, 13 Feb. 2026
Discussions kept grinding away, quietly.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s four-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
The rumor mill was grinding away ahead of Metallica’s lone show in the Sunshine State.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2025
That overheated preseason hyperbole didn’t make it through the day-to-day challenges of a 162-game season that grinds away at even the most talented roster.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grind away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20away. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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