as in scraping
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gritting
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound
everyone in the car winced when the driver ground the gears trying to shift into second
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sharpening
to make sharp or sharper
better grind down that ax before you even think about trying to cut down that tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
used the finest polishing paper he could to grind down the facets of the diamond before dusting it with a soft cloth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
as in crushing
to reduce to fine particles
grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinding
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
At times, the noise of grinding gears can obscure the soprano whoops and wails of the preschoolers.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The wind howls, and the sound of the runners grinding over the ice is surprisingly loud.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Sanders has been working in New York for almost 15 years, grinding through kitchens and classrooms to get here.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
Zelenskyy refuses to give up land that Russia has not been able to capture in four years of grinding, attritional warfare.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Hone means to define or sharpen, like grinding a knife on a whetstone.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Advanced packaging – Disco Japan's Disco manufactures processing equipment and tools for the creation of computer chips, specializing in grinding and polishing equipment, which is part of the advanced packaging process.
—Tasmin Lockwood, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
This grinding machinery of repression is brutally effective in the short term.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Most entrepreneurs are grinding themselves into the ground following advice that wasn't made for them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
At times, the noise of grinding gears can obscure the soprano whoops and wails of the preschoolers.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The wind howls, and the sound of the runners grinding over the ice is surprisingly loud.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Sanders has been working in New York for almost 15 years, grinding through kitchens and classrooms to get here.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
Zelenskyy refuses to give up land that Russia has not been able to capture in four years of grinding, attritional warfare.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Hone means to define or sharpen, like grinding a knife on a whetstone.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Advanced packaging – Disco Japan's Disco manufactures processing equipment and tools for the creation of computer chips, specializing in grinding and polishing equipment, which is part of the advanced packaging process.
—Tasmin Lockwood, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
This grinding machinery of repression is brutally effective in the short term.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding
Adjective
-
Recently, internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare likened the platform to North Korean hackers for bypassing anti-scraping protections on websites.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rothblatt said, sarcastically, as Fakroune sat at the defense table rubbing his temples.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Combined with the swiveling dining table, the setup allows several digital nomads to comfortably clack away on their keyboards at the same time – no banging elbows or rubbing knees.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The director, a graduate of the AFI conservatory, spent two summers growing up gritting his teeth at an all-boys sleepaway sports camp.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Bob Donnan / Imagn Images North Carolina and head coach Bill Belichick picked up a second straight ACC win on Saturday, gritting to a 20-15 victory over Stanford in Chapel Hill.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Mercury fuses with Pluto in your money zone, sharpening budget choices and prompting frank talks about fair compensation.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
-
So, why is a whetstone the better sharpening option?—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One air bubble can destroy a $10,000 piece at the polishing stage.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Advanced packaging – Disco Japan's Disco manufactures processing equipment and tools for the creation of computer chips, specializing in grinding and polishing equipment, which is part of the advanced packaging process.—
Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The best vacuums for hardwood floors have a powerful cleaning performance without scratching or causing damage.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
6 Jan. 2026
-
That pollen can fill the air, covers cars and cement, and can start noses running, eyes watering and throats scratching.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Amid the disorder, the regime turned to a familiar playbook of crushing dissent.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Homeowners association fees for people living in condominiums or other multi-unit dwellings have been increasing year after year — doubling one year only to go up again the next — and the effect is crushing.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And despite the abrasive whir of machinery nearby, on this Monday afternoon, the sound of children laughing cut through the noise.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
What Honest Teams Do Differently Honest teams are not abrasive.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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