as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
in her farewell speech, the departing governor got in some retaliatory girds at the media
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wrap
to encircle or bind with or as if with a belt
for the celebration of the heroes' return, well-wishers girded hundreds of trees with yellow ribbons she girded her waist with a delicate sash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to equip
to provide (someone) with what is needed for a task or activity
the Spartan warrior girded himself for battle with sword and shield
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to surround
to form a circle around
a tall hedge girds the exclusive estate and shields it from prying eyes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gird
Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Many who took the stage before and after her, however, spoke the language not of forgiveness but of girding for battle.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Palestinian health authorities said further Israeli airstrikes and shelling across the Gaza Strip had killed at least 100 people on Tuesday, 35 of them in Gaza City in the enclave's north as Israeli forces girded for the offensive.
—Emily Rose, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling rebuked a Northwest Side alderman who expressed skepticism this week about Chicago’s year-over-year crime declines as the city girds itself ahead of a possible deployment of National Guard troops.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gird
Verb
Men far outnumbered women, and a bright ribbon of divorce wove through the older males, girding some and racing toward others.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Many who took the stage before and after her, however, spoke the language not of forgiveness but of girding for battle.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Palestinian health authorities said further Israeli airstrikes and shelling across the Gaza Strip had killed at least 100 people on Tuesday, 35 of them in Gaza City in the enclave's north as Israeli forces girded for the offensive.
—Emily Rose, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling rebuked a Northwest Side alderman who expressed skepticism this week about Chicago’s year-over-year crime declines as the city girds itself ahead of a possible deployment of National Guard troops.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gird
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gird
Noun
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Recovery has scarcely begun, but insult is being added to fire victims’ injuries as local officials — especially Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — engage in a tawdry game of finger-pointing.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
4 Mar. 2026
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The last of these, which would have been an insult in previous eras, is part of the Buttigieg value proposition.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Separate bananas, wrap their stems, and keep them away from other fruits to extend their shelf life.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
3 Mar. 2026
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Hairstylist Gregory Russell, who frequently works with the star, pulled her hair back tightly and cinched the lengths right at the crown of her head, wrapping a thick portion of hair around the base to disguise the elastic.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Up to 40,000 American troops are stationed across the region, equipped with advanced US missile-defense systems.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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That includes finding an alternative shelter location that is equipped with showers.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Billionaire Larry Ellison helped lift his son’s deal with his vast wealth and ties to Trump and Republicans, exploiting regulatory uncertainty surrounding Netflix.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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An end to an overblown row As finicky and technical as the topic of compression ratios may be to the casual F1 fan, the furore surrounding their policing in the last two months has been a perfect example of F1 politicking.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
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Montgomery took to social media to respond to the ESPN report, employing a fair bit of sarcasm in doing so.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The prize, furnished by presenting sponsor Dawn Powerwash — luckily, smooth delivery of product placement is old hat for Lakshmi — is also a statement of purpose for the first cooking show to air on CBS in over a decade.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
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When furnishing the space, don’t be afraid to explore different eras and even incorporate modern pieces.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There dense clouds of dust and spindly filaments of cold molecular gas, the basic matter from which stars form, encircle the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 Feb. 2026
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Much like snowballs are composed of clusters of snowflakes, planetesimals likely arose within the disks of dust that encircled the newborn sun from clouds of pebble-sized objects pulled together by their mutual gravitational attraction.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The price of Dutch natural gas, the European benchmark, surged even further, by 23%, driven by mounting concerns over potential disruption to supply.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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Almost one year ago, the Saudis stunned crude traders by rapidly restarting production that had been halted since 2023, ignoring widespread warnings that global oil markets were already plentifully supplied.—
Grant Smith,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gird. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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