as in scraping
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
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
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
Until then, Kloza expects crude and product prices to keep grinding higher, punctuated by sharp swings on every headline.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Russia steps up its spring offensive Each year as the weather improves, Russia moves its grinding war of attrition up a notch.
—Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
The grinding win earns the Bruins a spot Sunday’s title game against South Carolina, the three-time national champions who ended reigning champion UConn’s undefeated season and left Huskies coach Geno Auriemma fuming.
—John Marshall, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
And that made sure Randy Vásquez grinding his way through a second quality start was not entirely wasted.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Each year as the weather improves, Russia moves its grinding war of attrition up a notch.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
The grinding win earns the Bruins a spot Sunday's title game against South Carolina, the three-time national champions who ended reigning champion UConn's undefeated season and left Huskies' coach Geno Auriemma fuming.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
By modern standards, nearly everyone on earth lived lives of grinding, unthinkable poverty.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
An assortment of stone tools, including grinding slabs, mullers, pestles, and mortars, suggested that grain was processed on-site.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
Until then, Kloza expects crude and product prices to keep grinding higher, punctuated by sharp swings on every headline.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Russia steps up its spring offensive Each year as the weather improves, Russia moves its grinding war of attrition up a notch.
—Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
The grinding win earns the Bruins a spot Sunday’s title game against South Carolina, the three-time national champions who ended reigning champion UConn’s undefeated season and left Huskies coach Geno Auriemma fuming.
—John Marshall, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
And that made sure Randy Vásquez grinding his way through a second quality start was not entirely wasted.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Each year as the weather improves, Russia moves its grinding war of attrition up a notch.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
The grinding win earns the Bruins a spot Sunday's title game against South Carolina, the three-time national champions who ended reigning champion UConn's undefeated season and left Huskies' coach Geno Auriemma fuming.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
By modern standards, nearly everyone on earth lived lives of grinding, unthinkable poverty.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 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
-
My hands are almost rubbing [the ground] sometimes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The slightly higher cut helps prevent sneakers from rubbing your ankle or the top of your foot.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 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
-
Mantello has chosen to have different actors play the young Biff (Joaquin Consuelos) and the young Happy (Jake Termine), sharpening the contrast between their potential and their fates.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That debate is sharpening this week as Cheng Li-wun, the firebrand chair of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, or KMT, heads to China on a six-day trip that could include a landmark meeting with leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After 10 to 20 passes, repeat the same process on the ceramic polishing rods, if the sharpener has them.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The program acts almost like a navigation map for individuals intent on entering the sector, from polishing resumes to grasping industry dynamics.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Use gentle solutions like dish soap, baking soda, or vinegar to clean without scratching surfaces or leaving streaks.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The quest to find out why some Braves were celebrating hits by scratching their heads proved more arduous than expected.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Black One and Monoliths & Dimensions maintain a slight distance from the listener with a layer of reverb that softens the bone-crushing power of the guitars.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
After Musk’s departure, Amodei and other researchers chafed against the leadership of Brockman, whom some considered an abrasive operator, and of Sutskever, who was generally viewed as principled but disorganized.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Her co-star Richardson, who plays Twila, a small-town woman described as equal parts abrasive and fearless, will seek consideration in the supporting actress category.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
