as in scraping
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Dissimilar Words
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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
as in crushing
to reduce to fine particles
grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinding
Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
After more than four years, Russia’s full-scale invasion has morphed into a grinding war of attrition where soldiers are being killed en masse, financial losses are piling up and Kyiv has started to liberate more land than Moscow has seized.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
But these Knicks didn’t reach the Finals by grinding every possession or waiting for Jalen Brunson to save them in critical moments.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 June 2026
Matcha Matcha is a type of green tea made by grinding whole tea leaves into a fine powder.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 1 June 2026
There’s no sound more evocative of summer than that of an old-school ice cream maker’s motor droning its monotonous naaaaaaaa with the backbeat of gas station ice and rock salt grinding and shifting against the spinning ice cream cannister.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
Four years of international sanctions have hampered Moscow’s ability to procure machinery, technology and research from Europe, while the grinding war in Ukraine has taxed key industries and pushed the country toward a potential financial crisis.
—Emma Burrows, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Facing a grinding stalemate and war fatigue at home, Putin is preparing a major escalation of missile strikes on Kyiv to restore his image of control and momentum.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
But Ehlers has given Carolina a newfound level of offensive depth, especially given he’s meshed surprisingly well with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, two veteran checkers who have been mucking and grinding for years on a team that does that better than anyone.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Verb
Nine crucial years of expansion and solidification of the pernicious institution went by, speeding the nation’s road toward a grinding war.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
After more than four years, Russia’s full-scale invasion has morphed into a grinding war of attrition where soldiers are being killed en masse, financial losses are piling up and Kyiv has started to liberate more land than Moscow has seized.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
But these Knicks didn’t reach the Finals by grinding every possession or waiting for Jalen Brunson to save them in critical moments.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 June 2026
Matcha Matcha is a type of green tea made by grinding whole tea leaves into a fine powder.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 1 June 2026
There’s no sound more evocative of summer than that of an old-school ice cream maker’s motor droning its monotonous naaaaaaaa with the backbeat of gas station ice and rock salt grinding and shifting against the spinning ice cream cannister.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
Four years of international sanctions have hampered Moscow’s ability to procure machinery, technology and research from Europe, while the grinding war in Ukraine has taxed key industries and pushed the country toward a potential financial crisis.
—Emma Burrows, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Facing a grinding stalemate and war fatigue at home, Putin is preparing a major escalation of missile strikes on Kyiv to restore his image of control and momentum.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
But Ehlers has given Carolina a newfound level of offensive depth, especially given he’s meshed surprisingly well with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, two veteran checkers who have been mucking and grinding for years on a team that does that better than anyone.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding
Adjective
-
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
Verb
-
Speaking of harnesses, fliers put on a base layer like compression shorts to protect from rubbing, and costume designer Ryan Park designed clothes to hide and accommodate the harnesses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Cholowsky wrapped both his arms around the boy and lowered his head onto the crown of the blue helmet, absentmindedly rubbing his back.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The director, a graduate of the AFI conservatory, spent two summers growing up gritting his teeth at an all-boys sleepaway sports camp.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Bob Donnan / Imagn Images North Carolina and head coach Bill Belichick picked up a second straight ACC win on Saturday, gritting to a 20-15 victory over Stanford in Chapel Hill.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And while a $3,000 mattress or a 22-step wind-down routine may look like the answer to your sleepless nights, the real answer is likely to be far more accessible, like keeping a consistent sleep-wake schedule and sharpening your sleep hygiene.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Before sharpening, always disconnect the spark plug and safely remove the blade using gloves and a wood block.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Another highlight of my visit was experiencing Bastien's Manicure, an in-spa collaboration with nail-care specialists Bastien Gonzalez, which pairs meticulous cuticle work and a thorough massage with a natural nail-polishing technique that eliminates the need for nail polish entirely.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
There’s the difficulty of sintering and polishing the ceramic, and then there’s maintaining the purity of the look.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Use a dry cloth and gentle pressure to remove buildup without scratching delicate surfaces.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
27 May 2026
-
Spark will monitor and organize Gmail, complete complex tasks, and manage workflows across apps – and that’s just scratching the surface.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Chasing Hokies reliever Madden Clement with no outs in the ninth, Mulivai Levu began the three-run rally at Jackie Robinson Stadium by crushing his 18th homer of the season to right.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
31 May 2026
-
India’s capitalist economy is booming, and the ruling Hindu-nationalist government is crushing its above-ground leftist opponents at the ballot box.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wash nonstick pans with mild detergent and a soft sponge, not abrasive scrubbers.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
Toughness in a man can be seen as abrasive or off-putting in a women.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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