graven

verb

variants or graved
past participle of grave
as in etched
to cut (as letters or designs) on a hard surface the doomed climber graved his initials into the rock face

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for graven
  1. etched
  2. carved
  3. engraved
  4. inscribed
Verb
  • Bars of steel are fused together like a sandwich, heat-treated and tempered for durability and sharpness, and then ground down, polished, etched, and honed.
    — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But now it’s etched in stone for all of history that this is not an unsolved case.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of etched
Verb
  • But Beshear, who has carved out a centrist lane before his potential presidential bid, rejected Republican efforts to label the broader party.
    — Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The mahogany wine cellar doors were intricately carved in Monterrey, Mexico.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of carved
Verb
  • Each will be engraved with its edition number and is paired with a dark-brown alligator leather strap.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Vuitton’s Pharrell Williams, meanwhile, sent out models sporting dangling silver bands daintily engraved with the brand’s LV monogram.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of engraved
Verb
  • In the Middle East, where gods were born, where narratives were sacred and the books in which they were inscribed considered sacramental, the ancient narratives are glorified again.
    — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • On her right hand, the 74-year-old wore a bracelet inscribed with Sauer’s name.
    — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of inscribed
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.

Browse Nearby Words

gravels
graven
graveness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Graven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graven. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All