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
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
Verb
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The manufacturing of this dye was a key industry in ancient Phoenician cities, with the precious ink coming from a process of grinding the now almost extinct murex shell.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
-
At this Walmart, the price of Maxwell House ground Colombian coffee rose by 46% in 2025 and its breakfast K-Cups by 34%.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As wind continues to pound the camp, a wooden pole delicately holds up the tarpaulin keeping him dry.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
-
This is a chest-out, table-pounding call to arms for Orlando NFL fans who’ve spent way too long waiting for permission to care.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The right guard has pushed through a lot of injuries during his three seasons with the franchise, often hobbling around the locker room before crushing down on defensive linemen on Sundays.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
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The low-pile rug has short fibers that prevent uneven crushing from heavy foot traffic and give it more durability over time.—
Shea Simmons,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Matcha, the Japanese powdered green tea that is used during the ceremony, has entered the global marketplace.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
7 Jan. 2026
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Her chest, powdered in glitter, while her brown micro-bang bob was sliced by angled brows.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Two teenage girls are charged with kidnapping a teenage boy after allegedly luring him into a basement and beating him for three hours in early November.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Josh Doan scored, Colten Ellis made 30 saves in his first game in a month and the Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Rangers 5-2 on Thursday night to give them 12 victories in their past 13 games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Plainclothes security forces still milled around some neighborhoods, though anti-riot police and members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force appeared to have been sent back to their barracks.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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Dozens of people were milling about.—
Vanessa Romo,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Like the trees cut down and pulverized to make Man-su’s beloved paper products, ultimately we’re all being fed into the shredder.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Nearby, the hotel bartender pulverized ice in the world’s loudest blender.—
Zoe Si,
New Yorker,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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By removing microscopic defects and smoothing the surface, this coating ensures efficient energy flow while preventing the cell from disintegrating under intense heat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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The very flying machine that now seemed destined to disintegrate in midair with us and the little girl.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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