comminute

verb

ˈkä-mə-ˌnüt How to pronounce comminute (audio)
Definition of comminutenext
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles eons of incessant pounding by the waves have comminuted the once-rocky shoreline into a bed of fine-grained sand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of comminute The report of displacement (out of alignment) is not as worrisome as if the fracture was comminuted (pieces). — Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
  1. grind
  2. pound
  3. crush
  4. powder
  5. beat
  6. mill
  7. pulverize
  8. disintegrate
Verb
  • These matchups are intense and, usually, grind-it-out battles of attrition between two proud soccer nations.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Then, Djokovic had the skills to blow his opponents away, but could also grind them down if needed, knowing that his superior fitness and durability would more than likely win out.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • Video shows the moment the roof collapsed at a BJ’s Wholesale Club in New Jersey as heavy rain pounded the state.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 7 July 2026
  • The second reason was that his sinking, two-seam fastball was getting pounded.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • Collins crushed a home run to dead center to start the eighth inning and tie the game.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2026
  • Fans of Brazil, Colombia and Portugal also were crushed that their teams, expected to make deep runs, crashed out so early.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • Most formulas use a twist or tap brush applicator that channels powder into the bristles for mess-free touch-ups over makeup throughout the day.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 1, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • The packets are filled with powdered, crystalized lime and taste like a fresh squeeze.
    — Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 May 2026
Definition of powder
Verb
  • Emanuel Sharp, Isaiah Stevens and Marquel Sutton led the way as the Kings rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors Blue 91-85 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
  • Egypt made its way to the round of 16 by beating Australia on penalties.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • The sea of yellow applauding the efforts of the dejected Brazilian players who milled about, seemingly unwilling to accept that a match that took so long to really get going was over so quickly.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Often the materials are crushed, milled, then reused directly on-site at the job where they were removed.
    — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of mill
Verb
  • When the missile came, the explosion pulverized the building so completely that many victims could not immediately be identified.
    — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Medical offices are encouraged to shred, burn, pulp or pulverize physical documents, according to the website.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 9 July 2026
Definition of pulverize
Verb
  • In the two-thousands, after the State disintegrated, Wain and two other members, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black, formed the trio Stella, which helped define New York’s downtown alt-comedy scene.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 July 2026
  • That changed in April 2023 when unknowing construction workers unceremoniously removed a disintegrating Pinky from its eyrie.
    — Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of disintegrate

Browse Nearby Words

commingling
comminute
comminuted
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on comminute

Nglish: Translation of comminute for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All