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
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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
Also, this prognosis is rooted in my hopefulness the fracture is not comminuted (in multiple pieces), as that might prolong the timeline by a couple of weeks.
—Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Also, this prognosis is rooted in my hopefulness the fracture is not comminuted (in multiple pieces), as that might prolong the timeline by a couple of weeks.
—Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
Verb
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The rally in Mainland markets continued to grind higher, underpinned by policy support and strong technical momentum.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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The grinding insurgencies that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union demanded more and more armor to protect troops from roadside bombs.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not said when troops would enter Gaza City, his country’s forces have continued to pound the area, killing dozens in recent days.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Get aligned and intentional before pounding the keyboard.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The regime crushed the protests and placed Mousavi under house arrest.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
8 Aug. 2025
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For two months, the scenes at GHF’s four distribution sites have been chaotic, with the Israeli military seen firing towards scores of Palestinians, some of whom have been crushed in the scramble to reach aid.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As both business owner and head baker — her black chef’s coat is usually powdered with flour, her hands stained with icing — Vee won’t have time this June to participate in the Chicago Pride Parade.—
Sophie Levenson,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
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Pallets of jurema bark, powdered and shredded, in a storage room at one of Akasha Song’s production facilities.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Verb
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The set disappeared in a flash, against an opponent who had beaten her in straight sets in their previous meeting in Washington, D.C.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
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Zack Littell struck out eight in seven crisp innings in his Cincinnati debut, and the Reds beat the slumping Chicago Cubs 5-1 at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.—
Matt Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some parents are especially upset when religion is introduced at the local elementary school—in the form of Jesus Christ himself physically showing up and milling around.—
Tyler Foggatt,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
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People milled around the grounds on the western end of Balboa Park, perusing vendor booths and resting with drinks in the shade.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 July 2025
Verb
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Remaining bones are pulverized and mixed with the compost, which is then put in another vessel and allowed to sit for another 30 days or so.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
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Next big thing: In the wake of his team being pulverized on the boards in losing the first two games in Las Vegas, Glass went big midway through the first period.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 July 2025
Verb
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The flow ran off his bare chest and dripped down toward disintegrating shoes.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
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The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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