grate

verb

Definition of gratenext
1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sled grated along the bare pavement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grit
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound he grated the pieces of metal together

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 grate Bears quarterback Caleb Williams celebrated that come-from-behind victory by grating cheese on the field, poking fun at Green Bay’s Cheesehead fan base. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Caleb Williams celebrated that come-from-behind victory by grating cheese on the field, poking fun at Green Bay's Cheesehead fan base. — Matt Zahn, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 Though, it perhaps must be said that Johnson’s glazed-over, murmuring style of line delivery does grow grating. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 Use a rasp and grate a couple of tablespoons right into the raw meat mixture before mixing. — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grate
  1. annoy
  2. scratch
  3. grit
  4. bother
  5. scrape
  6. irritate
  7. rub
  8. bug
Verb
  • Raymond Lopez, alderman of Chicago’s 15th Ward, told the station that the other driver appeared to be annoyed about something that happened several blocks back.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Studio executives who annoyed her might find their films receiving tepid coverage.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • The Senators’ most head-scratching trade of the summer, acquiring him for a 2027 sixth-round pick, has proved fruitless.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • State inspections also cited other pests (roaches and flies), as well as staff hygiene issues, including one employee seen scratching their nose then handling clean utensils.
    — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Take a rock, grit his teeth, and stave in that beautiful, trusting face?
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • And those options extend well beyond a binary choice between taking an opioid and gritting your teeth.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of grit
Verb
  • In fact, the movie doesn’t even bother revealing Fang’s ultimate fate; but then again, he’s been fully vindicated in the court of public opinion, so who cares?
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Nothing shows the world that the outside noise doesn’t bother you quite like preparing a statement ahead of time about how much the outside noise doesn’t bother you.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • By 2022 — four years after the contract had expired — Olsen was ailing and DeFalco was trying to scrape together money to pay for Olsen’s caregiver.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The company says the update is not about scraping news sites.
    — Barbara Ortutay, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • That mismatch can lead to issues ranging from irritating residue to expensive repairs.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2026
  • These extra steps are irritating, as non-Amazon ereaders tend to be much more forgiving when loading your own media.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • For small spots and stains, gently rub them with an art gum eraser.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The simplest answer to how to wash fruits and veggies is to start with clean hands, then rinse produce under cool running water while rubbing it for about 20 seconds.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • The Department of Justice’s prosecution of a Saudi national for allegedly bugging an OpenAI conference room is causing anxiety among OpenAI employees, many of whom are foreign nationals.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday, a court granted the US government’s request to deny release of a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a top-secret conference room to steal the frontier lab’s secrets.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bug

Browse Nearby Words

grass (on)
grate
G-rated
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Cite this Entry

“Grate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grate. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grate

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