minced; mincing
1
a
: to cut or chop into very small pieces
She minced the garlic.
b
: to subdivide minutely
especially
: to damage by cutting up
The director minced up the play.
2
: to utter or pronounce with affectation
minced the word in the manner of the old lady
3
a
archaic
: minimize
b
: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
—used in negative statements
I won't mince any words: the plan won't work.
… minced no words in stating his dislike.—
J. T. Farrell
J. T. Farrell
: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
The comedian minced across the stage.
mincer
noun
1
: small chopped bits (as of food)
specifically
: mincemeat
2
British
: hamburger sense 1a
Examples of mince in a Sentence
Verb
She minced the onions.
minced some garlic and added it to the stew
Recent Examples on the Web
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Leading the New York Jets to their first win of the season, quarterback Justin Fields did not mince his words when addressing owner Woody Johnson's public criticism of him.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Gently heat a small saucepan over medium-low and add the oil and minced garlic.
—Kate Bradshaw, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Gently heat a small saucepan over medium-low and add the oil and minced garlic.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mince
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Thompson did not mince her words when talking about artificial intelligence in her creative process.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Leading the New York Jets to their first win of the season, quarterback Justin Fields did not mince his words when addressing owner Woody Johnson's public criticism of him.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Gently heat a small saucepan over medium-low and add the oil and minced garlic.
—Kate Bradshaw, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Gently heat a small saucepan over medium-low and add the oil and minced garlic.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mince
Cite this Entry
“Mince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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