as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
she was an athlete with true grit, continuing her training despite bad weather and an injury
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grit
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Diggins, for all her grit, has also brought a sparkle to the sport.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grit
Noun
The young men and women flying, maintaining, and fixing the airplanes and manning defenses have displayed competence and grit.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Diggins, for all her grit, has also brought a sparkle to the sport.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
The director, a graduate of the AFI conservatory, spent two summers growing up gritting his teeth at an all-boys sleepaway sports camp.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grit
Noun
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The farmworkers' rights movement has always been powered by courage, by people willing to endure, to speak out, to demand dignity in the face of injustice.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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But if worthiness is measured by the courage to lead, the humility to listen, the wisdom to hold complexity and the sacred responsibility of walking with people through joy, loss and transformation, then women’s rabbinic leadership has already outgrown the narrow metrics of any centralized system.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The two-part conversation will air on March 26 and 27 and provide more information on Guthrie’s faith and fortitude during this time.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
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So if nothing else, this was a test of mental fortitude.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The day started with bad vibes when two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom was scratched from his start with a neck injury.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Rookie Owen Caissie, a late addition to the starting lineup after original first baseman Christopher Morel was scratched with a left oblique strain, then drove in Edwards with a double to left-center.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Minor acts of bravery mean a lot right now.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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The jury saw the truth and recognized the bravery Donna showed in standing up for herself.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By modern standards, nearly everyone on earth lived lives of grinding, unthinkable poverty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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Each year, as the weather improves, Russia has moved its grinding war of attrition up a gear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kids will learn how to do circus tricks and build stamina along the way.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
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Even up 4-1 in the final 15 minutes, the Rapids kept pushing past the limits of stamina to find a fifth goal, both in the press and in the buildup.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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An essay that lacks the rough edges, occasional clunky vocabulary, or endearing spunk of imperfect teenage writing can quickly indicate over-coaching (or, perhaps worse, the use of AI).—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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Zero in on a slip dress that Bessette Kennedy (played with ravishing spunk by Sarah Pidgeon) wears on her first date with America’s Prince and premiere himbo people-pleaser, John F. Kennedy, Jr.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grit. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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