GRATES Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

grates

verb

present tense third-person singular of grate

as in annoys

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in scratches

to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sled grated along the bare pavement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grits

to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound he grated the pieces of metal together

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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 grates Athletes do miss a lot of classes, which grates on professors. — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026 Made out of stainless steel, the grater effortlessly zests citrus, shreds hard cheeses, and grates fresh spices. — Mariette Williams, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2026 There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 After seasoning the steak, Jade grates cheese as Giada stirs the pasta, accidentally dropping it into the bowl. — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026 This beloved Microplane zester is made from stainless steel and designed with a unique tooth set that grates hard spices, citrus, cheeses, and more as smooth as butter. — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026 And though Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter's dysfunctional love story still grates, corporate drama and spikes of heart drive the Paramount+ series. — Ew Staff November 14, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025 Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects. — Alex Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grates

Verb

What annoys me is that this whole thing is called Roaring 20th, so why was there not a flapper and Great Gatsby theme?

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
That very same thing is what annoys Liz about Charles 500 years later.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of annoys

Verb

Two days later, my husband found the frame of my wheelchair dropped off on our doorstep, scratches across the front, two parts dangling.

— Rebekah Taussig, Time, 28 Oct. 2026
Washing bites or scratches immediately with soap and water after possible rabies exposure.

— Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of scratches

Verb

The film was produced by the Zagha bothers for Avanti Pictures alongside Elsa Reyes and Películas V’s Valentín Javier Diment and Vanesa Pagani.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
Television doesn’t lack for comedies that deliver biting satire and cogent commentary — that are, in fact, so committed to commentary that nobody bothers to even include jokes.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bothers

Verb

My colleague counters that to do so rubs salt in the wound, and that the loser is the one to first contact the winner with congratulations.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
By the end of the nineteenth century, health tourists could easily travel to Davos, in the east of Switzerland, where the mountain vistas were more dramatic and newer treatments, such as chest rubs with marmot fat, awaited.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rubs

Verb

High-schooler Makoto (Kawashima) lives with her mother, Emi (Akiko Kikuchi) — who is now an emotional wreck — while her father (Yoichiro Saito) has moved out, lost his office job, and now scrapes together a living as a delivery driver.

— James Marsh, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Their situation becomes critical when one of the adolescent children, Elia (Vanessa Ceban), is observed by a teacher to have a mark on her face and scrapes on her back.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of scrapes

Verb

Patients may be advised to use gentle, fragrance-free products, keep the area moisturized, and avoid anything that further irritates the skin.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Knowing that Madame Lalouette’s sales numbers are too high to fire her, Carla attempts to transfer Madame Morel to a different department — a move that irritates her superiors and highlights her weakness.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritates

Verb

For anyone who grinds fresh every morning and chases single-origin lots, online talk about mold and mycotoxins in coffee tends to raise a practical question about how the stuff gets onto beans in the first place.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
The annual College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the country’s most important academic event, grinds the nation to almost a halt to ensure the smooth administration of the exam.

— Lim Hui Jie,Miko Jang, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026