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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 And this episode feels like the power dynamics are really pushing and grating against each other within Ormund and Daeron’s relationship. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 July 2026 Use a Microplane or garlic press to grate the garlic over the tomatoes. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 20 July 2026 It’s filled with a goat-cheese sauce and crowned with guava and grated llanero cheese. — Sarah Moreno updated July 18, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026 Using a grater, grate the butter into pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 July 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
  • Tiesi, appearing to be annoyed, received a video call from him seconds later.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
  • Andreu Martínez of Spain humorously said in July 2024 that the use of squirt guns was to annoy the tourists a bit.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo López was scratched ahead of Saturday’s game against the Nationals at Truist Park.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The poor offensive production spoiled a night when the Angels got good enough pitching, despite scratching Soriano.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Showed toughness by gritting through ankle and knee injuries in the Final Four and title game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
  • Then the coach known as the most impulsive man on an NFL sideline runs that stop sign, grits his teeth and breaks unbound into character.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of grit
Verb
  • Lowe’s marginal position in Britain doesn’t seem to bother his allies in the United States.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
  • She couldn’t be bothered to hear half of the testimony about carriage horses.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • The record’s grainy black-and-white cover shows her with her hair—usually scraped back in her trademark ponytail, or lately a bun, another kind of disguise—loose and scattered over her laughing face.
    — Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026
  • Suno allegedly did the same thing, according to a recent report from 404 Media covering a hack of Suno’s internal data, which seemed to indicate that Suno illegally scraped material from YouTube.
    — Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • It’s also formulated without potentially irritating ingredients like phthalates, parabens and mineral oil.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • While retinol on its own can be irritating, especially on sensitive skin, applying it as a moisturizer can help minimize irritation and soothe the skin—a genius product, IMO.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 31 July 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • Schmitt was visibly shaken up and could be seen rubbing his left knee in discomfort.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • About 30 seconds under running water, while gently rubbing the produce with your hands, does far more than a passive soak.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Lift sheets, curtains and cushions to check for bed bugs or signs of bed bugs before settling in.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
  • The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, a law-enforcement agency known as NABU, had bugged Mindich’s apartment in Kyiv, and detectives picked up his conversations about Fire Point.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grate

Nglish: Translation of grate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grate

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