1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grates
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
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
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Think of something that annoys you, connect it to masculinity by adding bro, and proceed as though that bro were a category of person.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That only scratches the surface of Dolphins possibilities in free agency.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
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Keep clean door mats inside and outside entrance areas to trap gritty dirt that scratches floors.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His approach is to look at what bothers that person the most.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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The political rhetoric aimed at ridiculing Canada bothers Johnson.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Give him lots of treats and belly rubs!—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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It can be added to marinades, soups, sauces, rubs, and is often on the table to be added to whatever dish is being served.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Avery Sullivan, with whom Morris also plays in the country-rock band Fust, keeps loose time on drums, tapping the snare like someone setting down coffee mugs while Libby Rodenbough scrapes out a few melody lines on her fiddle and colors empty spaces with some ghostly tremolo.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
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To show me, Max reaches a metal pick into a tank of clear water and scrapes a white line that seems to hover in the center of the tank.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Castor Oil Castor oil irritates the digestive system of the moles and makes the soil less inviting to them.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
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Weed pollen typically irritates people in the late summer and early fall.—
Seth Jacobson,
wickedlocal.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The all-metal body and burrs (the wheely thing that grinds the pepper) sounded promising.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Scrubbing a dry, dirty window just grinds grit into the glass.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Travelers are advised to inspect hotel rooms upon arrival and use precautions like plastic bags or luggage liners to prevent bringing bed bugs home.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
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Check the head and base and foot of the bed, peeling back the top sheet to look for evidence on mattress covers, box springs, dust ruffles, and the headboard—and most importantly, the mattress seams and piping because bed bugs like to hide in cracks and crevices.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grates. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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