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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

For decades, junior accountants learned their trade by reconciling accounts, manually entering data, and grinding through the month-end close. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 This innovation—the mass manufacture of ammonia, vastly more efficient than scraping guano off remote islands or grinding mountains of bison bones—removed the most critical nutrient bottleneck in global agriculture. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Matcha May Be Better for Liver Health Matcha is a type of green tea made by grinding tea leaves into a fine powder. — Lindsey Desoto, HEALTH, 23 Oct. 2026 Rodgers is currently grinding through his 22nd NFL season and is widely expected to finally hang 'em up once the season wraps. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 With a bonafide hit under his belt, Umpa continued grinding for the next few years, eventually linking up with record label and management company Young Boss Entertainment around 2019. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2026 In the millennia and centuries that followed, people developed and refined other traditional food processing methods, including grinding, baking, fermenting, drying and pressing. — Garrett M. Broad, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026 After grinding to Akon during their belly dancing date, Cam and Aneha find common ground around growing up in low-income families when their parents lost their jobs. — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 That kind of grinding, directionless uncertainty makes Salesforce an interesting candidate for a neutral, short premium trade. — Julia Spina, CNBC, 6 Oct. 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

Oh, and a pad from an HTC Vive, because nobody wants the sharp edges of layered plastic extruded from a 3D printer rubbing against their face.

— Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Some of the more envelope-pushing moments, including an extended scene of nuns ripping off their habits and rubbing themselves on a life-sized crucifix, were in the script.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of rubbing

Verb

Red flag The Dodgers still don’t know what to reasonably expect from Ohtani, gritting out the postseason despite discomfort in his left knee and right arm.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 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 Moon moves through practical Virgo, sharpening our eye for details, routines, and the small choices that make life easier.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Israel’s first election since the attack is sharpening anger over security failures and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while public discussion largely overlooks Palestinian civilians’ lives.

— Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharpening

Verb

Almost all of them seemed empty, like houses closed for the season, but a handful had signs of life—crewmen at the railings, polishing the brightwork, as if getting ready to leave.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
There may have been a time when hosting a holiday dinner meant pulling out every platter, polishing the silver, and making sure there were enough wine glasses for a small army.

— Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of polishing

Verb

Lee is forever grunting and scratching and clearing his throat.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
People are advised to watch for signs of rodent activity including droppings, gnaw marks, scratching or scurrying sounds and rub marks along baseboards or around entry points.

— Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado Updated October 21, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratching

Verb

The Tigers bounced back from an overtime loss to Kentucky by crushing Mississippi State (which was missing quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell).

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
On the other side, that's a crushing loss for a Nittany Lions team that certainly didn't need any more games going in the loss column.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of crushing

Adjective

Dummy’s third full-length release tasks itself with offering an affirmation of life, spelled out in no uncertain terms through the thwack of DnB drumlines, abrasive distortion, and incisive songwriting.

— Sue Park, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Gabe, all of 16 years old — not that Carla could remember that off the top of her head — is abrasive and bright.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026