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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinding
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
That hypnotizing aroma may be one thing, but there is actually a science to grinding coffee.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 15 Oct. 2025
But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
The surprise re-emergence of tariff conflict risks grinding equities sideways, if not worse.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
There is nothing worse than grinding for hours, leveling up, and finally getting face-to-face with the boss in your game, only to see your screen buffer and the PC lag.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
With Dowdle grinding the ball down the field in the second half, McMillan was actually able to double his touchdown total.
—Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Typically, mines extract copper from ores by grinding the rock, concentrating the ore, and then using high-temperature smelting or chemical leaching with strong acids.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025
The machine offers step-by-step guidance through grinding, tamping and milk frothing.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Another aspect to note is that most of the beef coming from Argentina would fall in the lean grinding beef category.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
That hypnotizing aroma may be one thing, but there is actually a science to grinding coffee.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 15 Oct. 2025
But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
The surprise re-emergence of tariff conflict risks grinding equities sideways, if not worse.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
There is nothing worse than grinding for hours, leveling up, and finally getting face-to-face with the boss in your game, only to see your screen buffer and the PC lag.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
With Dowdle grinding the ball down the field in the second half, McMillan was actually able to double his touchdown total.
—Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Typically, mines extract copper from ores by grinding the rock, concentrating the ore, and then using high-temperature smelting or chemical leaching with strong acids.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025
The machine offers step-by-step guidance through grinding, tamping and milk frothing.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding
Verb
-
Because the surface of the cornea contains multiple tiny microabrasions from your contact rubbing against it, these can function as openings for the amoeba to infiltrate—and the longer you’re exposed to it, the further in it can burrow.—
Holly Burns,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Rinse the seeds in a colander afterward, rubbing with your fingers to detach any stubborn bits of pulp.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Process until just smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down sides of blender as needed.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
-
There are 616 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dressed in a plain baby blue spaghetti-strap top, the 31-year-old is having her glam squad ready her, meticulously curling her waist-length extensions and sharpening her cat-eye eyeliner.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
-
An impressive four-game winning streak followed a lopsided loss at Wazzu that had some natives not just restless but greasing skids and sharpening pitchforks.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Venus ends its Virgo run in your communication house, polishing your words with discernment.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
-
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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If that stretch wasn’t enough, Florida returned to another head-scratching theme — an inability to field 11 players — in the fourth quarter.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Riley’s most head-scratching play call of the season appeared early in the fourth quarter, with rain steadily falling on Notre Dame Stadium.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Then came four straight touchdown drives, what looked like a crushing response by the Giants and, finally, a walk-off, 39-yard field goal by Broncos kicker Wil Lutz.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
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Michael Regan/Getty Images A week that began with two Wrexham players combining to score on the international stage for the first time in the modern era ended in a crushing sense of disappointment.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Do not use abrasive scrubbers or steel wool, as these can scratch the surface of your range hood, especially if your hood is painted.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The next day, Alex turned himself in to the Hampton County Law Enforcement Center and was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Massie, meanwhile, has continued to make headlines on Capitol Hill, recently filing a discharge petition with Representative Ro Khanna to force a floor vote compelling the Justice Department to release files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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