graze 1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈgrāz How to pronounce graze (audio)
Definition of grazenext
as in to pasture
to feed on grass or herbs cows grazing in the meadow

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graze

2 of 3

verb (2)

1
as in to scrape
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface I grazed my elbow diving for the ball

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing the volleyball just grazed my face, so I'm okay

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

graze

3 of 3

noun

as in bruise
an area of skin roughened or worn away by harsh rubbing against another surface a stumble that resulted in nothing more serious than a graze on the knee

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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 graze
Verb
The grassy area around the lodge is a favorite place for herds of guanacos (a close relative of the llama) to graze and sun themselves. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Based on his observations thus far, Spasojevic believes the burros could play an important role in the local ecosystem by grazing on non-native grasses and preventing them from overtaking native plants. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
First responders treated one person at the scene for a minor graze injury, officials said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026 Around the dozens of containers that make Toolik the US’s largest research station in the Arctic, musk ox and caribou graze on dwarf birches and fragrant labrador tea, while Arctic ground squirrels pop out of their burrows to survey the tundra. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for graze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graze
  1. pasture
  2. scrape
  3. brush
  4. bruise
  5. feed
  6. scratch
  7. kiss
  8. abrasion
Verb
  • Sadly, the last Blockbuster (aside from one defiant Bend, Oregon, outlier) went out to pasture in 2014, and independent video stores are an increasingly rare sight.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
  • In Wisconsin, dairy farms are smaller, herds are smaller, and cows are usually sent out to pasture to graze in good weather, which is not easy to come by in Wisconsin.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of pasture
Verb
  • Pamir, which uses machine learning to scrape, parse and categorize vast amounts of unstructured video, image and social media data for its SaaS database, offers another tool.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • Across campus, students raised trembling voices, burst into applause, and brushed away tears.
    — Jeannine Chiang, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Silver brushed off this week’s rejection as a bump in the road.
    — Alex Sherman, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of brush
Noun
  • When adolescent Elia Gheorghiu shows up at school with bruises, the community questions the traditional education the Gheorghiu children are getting from their parents.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
  • She was left with multiple bruises and a lump on the back of her head.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bruise
Verb
  • The 2016 presidential election outcome still casts a shadow over the political handicapping world and feeds the narrative that Trump is immune from electoral trends.
    — Nathan Gonzales CQ-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Today, those springs feed five geothermal pools, with temperatures reaching up to 102 degrees and contain minerals like manganese, silicate, and zinc, in a magical setting marked by gurgling fountains and 100-year-old redwood and eucalyptus trees.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of feed
Verb
  • The bear even takes time to exfoliate, using what appears to be a concrete barrier to scratch its back.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Atlanta scratched across three runs against a shaky Blake Snell and a parade of Dodgers relievers, while Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes, among others, held the powerful LA lineup to just two.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • That’s because the acting Oscar races are really more akin to a political campaign that involves millions of dollars, months of meet-and-greets and kissing metaphorical babies, and dozens of screenings and press appearances.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The impression is of a raucous house party—one in which secrets are spilled, kisses are stolen, and everyone drinks far too much.
    — Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of kiss
Noun
  • Most had abrasions and small cuts, and all but the driver have since been treated and released, authorities said Monday during a press briefing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Machado and her daughters had abrasions on their necks, which Lew said is consistent with asphyxiation.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of abrasion

Browse Nearby Words

grays
graze
grazed
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Cite this Entry

“Graze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graze. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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