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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in scraping
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinding
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Stories like these have underscored the human dimension of a grinding war, where soldiers form bonds with animals in the trenches.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
This boundary-breaking dance drama follows Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romantic entanglement that all starts with a rousing night of bumping and grinding.
—Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Harvey came to Denver and immediately began grinding tape of pass-catching backs like Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles from Sean Payton offenses of old.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Most striking, the Cavaliers owned third and fourth downs, grinding their way through a defense that stuffed Alabama in Week 1.
—David Teel, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The murmur of medical machines in London is a far cry from the grinding buzz of Israeli drones in northern Gaza – where his two younger brothers, Muhammad, 14, and Yusuf, 12, are displaced.
—Christina MacFarlane, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
But the approach may also carry a cost, one hard to discern in the middle of a grinding conflict.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
The Smart Grinder Pro doses by time, and selecting a set number of cups correlates with a preset amount of grinding time.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The songwriting process for the album’s breakout hit started with the track’s grinding post-chorus breakdown, which Walter had created on a whim.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Stories like these have underscored the human dimension of a grinding war, where soldiers form bonds with animals in the trenches.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
This boundary-breaking dance drama follows Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romantic entanglement that all starts with a rousing night of bumping and grinding.
—Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Harvey came to Denver and immediately began grinding tape of pass-catching backs like Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles from Sean Payton offenses of old.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Most striking, the Cavaliers owned third and fourth downs, grinding their way through a defense that stuffed Alabama in Week 1.
—David Teel, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The murmur of medical machines in London is a far cry from the grinding buzz of Israeli drones in northern Gaza – where his two younger brothers, Muhammad, 14, and Yusuf, 12, are displaced.
—Christina MacFarlane, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
But the approach may also carry a cost, one hard to discern in the middle of a grinding conflict.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
The Smart Grinder Pro doses by time, and selecting a set number of cups correlates with a preset amount of grinding time.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding
Verb
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More videos show Dangy rubbing Rune’s belly and feeding him with a bottle.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Like rubbing salt into the wound, an activist investor is seeking to block outgoing Target chief executive officer Brian Cornell’s transition to executive chairman next February.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cook over medium-low, whisking and scraping side of pan constantly, until thickened and bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes.—
Emily Teel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
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Six Grinnell College researchers spent the summer here digging, scraping and screening the soil, most of whom have never been to Wyoming before.—
Jenna McMurtry,
NPR,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The scratching posts are lined with sistal ropes for scratching and sharpening claws while the rest areas are soft and warm, perfect for an afternoon siesta.—
Christine Persaud,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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October begins with a profound shift in energy as Mercury joins Mars in Scorpio on October 6, sharpening our minds and intensifying our communication.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Venus ends its Virgo run in your communication house, polishing your words with discernment.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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Over the course of the next 36 years, McNally returned to the script again and again, rewriting, restaging, refining and polishing it into something that eventually became one of Broadway’s biggest hits of 2014 and ’15.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Security camera footage revealed that Tyrese’s dogs were running loose and scratching at a neighbor’s door across the street minutes before Henry was attacked and killed.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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Security footage from a nearby house showed the dogs scratching at someone’s door and running through yards before Henry was allegedly attacked.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Apparently, Grier forgot his own words, because the lines that the Dolphins have built are collectively their worst this decade, something evident in a crushing 27-24 loss to Carolina, a game in which Miami blew a 17-0 lead.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Age of Innocence actress recounted meeting De Palma and the casting director and crushing her first audition for the movie.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Then, take a non-abrasive sponge and scrub.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
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Speaking publicly for the first time about the controversy over his abrasive remarks to a Christian minister, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said his city is welcome to all, noting the history of its Muslim residents being targeted with hate.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Why are so many retirees filing for Social Security earlier?—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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Defense moves to access 'voluminous' evidence On Monday, Robinson’s defense team formally responded to prosecutors’ claims by filing a sweeping discovery request in Utah’s Fourth Judicial District Court.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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