grates

present tense third-person singular of grate
1
2
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

3
as in grits
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 grates 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 is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • One of the more common ways bear encounters escalate is when an off-leash dog runs toward a bear, annoys it, and then comes sprinting back to its owner with an angry predator in pursuit.
    Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Price's dog Chaos suffered extensive blood loss and several gashes and scratches from the bear attack.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
  • Officers noted in the affidavit that the girlfriend’s injuries didn’t quite match her claims, observing a small mark on her neck, scratches on her arm and a small cut on her hand.
    Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • What bothers me is the implication of a Labubu National Team full of these things.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
  • The underlying economics are forgiving, if anyone bothers to design for them.
    Warren Wimmer, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Every texture is an independent agent with its own membrane in the mix; percussion rubs and scrapes against your attention, while mutating synth patches burble in the periphery.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
  • The plastic bristles coax out loose hair as your cat rubs against it.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.
    Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
  • Every texture is an independent agent with its own membrane in the mix; percussion rubs and scrapes against your attention, while mutating synth patches burble in the periphery.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • If someone is in your life long enough, they’re bound to do something that irritates you—and you’re bound to do something that irritates them.
    Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
  • Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.
    Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • The Food Processor quickly chops, slices, and shreds a wide array of ingredients for unlimited culinary creations, while the Coffee & Spice Grinder efficiently grinds coffee beans, spices, and herbs for superior flavor and potency.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 June 2026
  • With a range of 50 to 300 kilometers, the drones, all made in Ukraine, are designed to throttle the Russian army’s logistics – adding a new dimension of strikes to Ukraine’s strategy as the war grinds through its fifth year.
    Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grates. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

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