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

The process begins by crushing and grinding magnets before digestion and separation of base metals, including iron, manganese, aluminum, nickel, copper, and boron. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 But the wins have, largely, been grinding contests reliant on perfect pitching and nail-biting relief. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Going from highway speeds to a grinding halt would be an extraordinary, if not unprecedented, example. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026 Persistence and commitment to keep grinding are terrific qualities for any athlete, and that’s what former All-City Section quarterback Diego Montes from Granada Hills Kennedy High showed in his pursuit to join UCLA’s football program. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Being a professional tennis player is a grind, but nobody on the ATP or WTA Tours has been grinding more this year than 38-year-old Adrian Mannarino. — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Some jobs that previously relied on hand craftsmanship but can now be automated made the top 10, including patternmakers and grinding and polishing workers. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 The stock spent the fall of 2025 grinding higher along the rising 50-day, then broke into a completely different gear in the spring. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 The more than 2-mile section of track will be shut down for platform-grinding work at the Fourth Avenue/Wayne Hultgren and City College stations. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 28 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

Rubbing Alcohol Head to the drug store for a bottle of 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to clean windows.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
The redyed fabrics showed uniform color uptake and washing and rubbing fastness comparable to the reference fabric, according to the study.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 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

Brent crude climbed back above $90 a barrel and gasoline stayed over $4 a gallon all month, deepening inflation pressures and sharpening expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The Sun conjoins Mercury in Virgo and your 1st House of Self, sharpening your voice, presence, choices, and personal direction.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharpening

Verb

Some jobs that previously relied on hand craftsmanship but can now be automated made the top 10, including patternmakers and grinding and polishing workers.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis has spent the last decade successfully polishing its image without becoming a major global name.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of polishing

Verb

Use them to cook without scratching your ceramic and nonstick cookware, then toss them in the dishwasher for low-maintenance cleaning.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026
Its uniquely wide view will also help scientists decode the intricacies of dark matter and dark energy while perhaps clearing up some contradictions about our universe that scientists have been scratching their heads over for decades.

— Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratching

Verb

Consider each target wounded by crushing knockdowns and then killed by piggy-backers, irrespective of the quality of the quarter.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
The writer compared the collapse of civil society to a boulder rolling downhill, crushing things in its path.

— KANIS LEUNG, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of crushing

Adjective

Drawings in metalpoint must be made on paper coated with a slightly abrasive ground, which is often tinted.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Next, brush the surfaces with a non-abrasive scrub brush or a microfiber cloth, focusing on edges and grout lines, Williams says.

— Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 31 Aug. 2026