GRINDING Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

grinding 1 of 2

adjective

as in scraping

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grinding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grind

as in rubbing

to make smooth by friction after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry

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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

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as in sharpening

to make sharp or sharper better grind down that ax before you even think about trying to cut down that tree

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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

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as in scratching

to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

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as in crushing

to reduce to fine particles grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee

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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 grinding

Verb

Kruz and Josie catch the guy’s eye on the dance floor and invite him to join their impromptu grinding session, which is also when Joe catches the pair touching in a way that suggests relationship-level familiarity. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026 But almost all beef that is meant to be used for grinding beef, which comes from Australia or Brazil, is frozen, and a large portion of that goes to food service operations, mostly fast food companies. — Dan Mangan,pippa Stevens, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 The team created a lightweight, non-toxic porous material by mechanically grinding the entire composite, both fiber and resin. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026 In manual vehicles, grinding often points to clutch problems. — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 The lineup has expanded beyond its viral multi-balm, too, with lightweight SPF sticks and even a mess-minimizing grinding cleansing balm. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 15 Aug. 2026 Buy The stainless-steel drain of the Composer One garbage disposal seals to dampen sound while grinding food. — Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026 Under this law, employers are required to take steps to protect workers, such as providing protective respirators and using water to suppress dust, when employees are cutting, grinding or polishing slabs. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 These weapons could help bolster Ukraine’s surface-to-surface firepower in its depleting and grinding war with Russia. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding

Adjective

If Google can amend its complaint to argue that rights holders directly authorized Google to use its anti-scraping technology to prevent unauthorized access to content, then Google may be able to block a very limited amount of SerpApi’s scraping.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
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

Definition of scraping

Verb

For someone with a flexible foot or a narrow forefoot where the toes tend to crowd each other, separating the big toe from the second toe can reduce rubbing and irritation.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
The forward has also trademarked his nickname ‘Cold Palmer’, a nod to his celebration, crossing and rubbing his arms as though to warm himself up.

— Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubbing

Verb

But credit Skubal for gritting it out each time, keeping the Dodgers in those three games against the Chicago Cubs, the Kansas City Royals and Brewers.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Showed toughness by gritting through ankle and knee injuries in the Final Four and title game.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026

Definition of gritting

Verb

The expert becomes the manager of an artificial team, reviewing, redirecting, correcting, and sharpening outputs at speed.

— Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
The Virgo Moon moves through your 3rd House of Communication, sharpening your attention to words, timing, errands, and local conversations.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharpening

Verb

Sangare is not the finished product, but Brentford’s track record of finding and polishing young players with high potential casts this move in a promising light.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Born into a Krymchak Jewish family in Haifa and raised poor in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Bakshi entered the animation industry at just 18, polishing dirt from cels at Terrytoons.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of polishing

Verb

The selloff in exchange stocks has execs in Chicago and New York scratching their heads, according to on and off-the-record conversations with executives.

— Oliver Renick, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
John DeBacker The kitten was surprised and tried to put up a fight, meowing, scratching and trying to get loose before DeBacker put it in a crate.

— Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratching

Verb

The Sparks opened a three-game homestand and the first since Ogwumike’s retirement announcement with a crushing 124-88 loss to the Atlanta Dream.

— Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Hernandez is a grappler in the octagon who can unleash crushing blows with his fists, elbows and legs.

— Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026