grinding 1 of 2

Definition of grindingnext

grinding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grind
1
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
5
as in scratching
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6

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
Bodies in motion are intercut with a bespoke gun factory’s grinding gears; human combats are juxtaposed with VR imagery or first-person shooter games. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 Best Krups coffee grinders This is perfect for precision grinding for cold brew, espresso and pour-over coffee. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 Rue takes to this teaching like the Torah, ogling the girls grinding for bills with a fervor that mimics that of a religious revelation. Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026 At 19, Wilson moved to Nashville in a camper trailer, then spent nearly a decade grinding before landing her major-label deal in 2018. Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026 Catcher Brady Murrietta has been like a superhero for Orange Lutheran behind the plate, leading, grinding and delivering. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026 After grinding, store the flaxseed meal in the freezer to help preserve its omega-3 fats. Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026 The pigment was traditionally made by grinding the female Cochineal insect. Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 9 Apr. 2026 With fewer events, LIV required less travel than the grinding PGA Tour, which featured tournaments almost every week. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 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
  • As the court moved to watch the KSTU-TV segment, Tyler Robinson appeared to begin fidgeting, with one of his hands moving and rubbing his fingers back and forth.
    Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Sara Aparacio, a resident cleaning expert at Homeaglow, equates scrubbing an appliance with an abrasive sponge to rubbing it with very fine sandpaper.
    Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 11 Apr. 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
  • What emerges is a platform less interested in scale than in sharpening its own profile.
    Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Consumer goods companies are sharpening their focus and strategically reassessing their portfolios as former growth drivers cool, and consumers are increasingly selective amid rising living costs.
    Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • With just over a month before the FIFA World Cup, Downtown Dallas is polishing, planning, and preparing for what could be one of the busiest stretches the city has ever seen.
    Steve Pickett, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Remove the stain by simply polishing it.
    Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Pine-Sol removes that grime without scratching the appliances.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Pulido told the crowd, before scratching his signature onto the brim and handing it to Jimena, who pumped it in the air and shrieked with joy.
    Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Willson Contreras greeted Valdez with a first-inning solo shot to tie the game at 1-1, crushing an 0-2 sinker 394 feet into the Green Monster seats.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
  • The Chicago White Sox broke out in a big way offensively Friday, crushing the Athletics 9-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 12,027 at Sutter Health Park.
    LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The late engineer’s experience with the project became fraught when the trio’s label insisted on remixes, arguing that Albini’s approach was too abrasive.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
  • In fact, Gerrod Moore, a brand manager of Maytag advises against uninformed stainless steel cleaning experimentation, because some kitchen cleaning go-to's like bleach, glass cleaner, abrasive cleaners, and steel wool may damage the metal.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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