grinds 1 of 2

plural of grind
1
as in scratches
a harsh grating sound the grind of ice in the blender sent the cat running from the room

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2
as in nerds
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits don't be such a grind—go out with your friends and enjoy yourself

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3
4

grinds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of grind
1
2
as in grits
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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3
as in sharpens
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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4
5
as in scrapes
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

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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 grinds
Noun
It’s finished with a generous sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025 And Destiny 2 has had some bad grinds in the past. Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Luxe Café automatically grinds beans to the appropriate size and volume for your drink, and has a hands-free frothing system for creating hot and cold foam. Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025 The White House is halting $18 billion in New York infrastructure funding due to concerns over diversity and inclusion practices and as the first day of a federal shutdown grinds government work to a halt. Gregory Korte, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025 This all-in-one machine grinds and brews for maximum freshness, dispensing the perfect dose of caffeine each time. 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, 29 Sep. 2025 People die in this movie, and nobody seems to care, which could be a metaphor for the way the pro sports industry grinds up and disposes of its warriors. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025 That fear grinds community life to a halt, resulting in less foot traffic, lower sales, and more empty storefronts. Javier Palomarez, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 Sarah stands up from the audience to fill in the lyrics after David, confronting his then childhood girlfriend, grinds the performance to an auditorium-freezing halt. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2025 Too often, the buying journey still grinds like an outdated gearbox. Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 As Russia’s war machine grinds forward in eastern Ukraine, there is another offensive being waged far beyond the front line. Rachel Wilson, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinds
Noun
  • Animals transmit the virus to humans with bites and scratches, or when humans come in contact with infected body fluids while hunting, preparing, cooking or eating animals, according to the WHO.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Veteran receivers Curtis Samuel and Elijah Moore have been healthy scratches already.
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Shildt was an old-timer, relying more on feel and instinct than the cellar-dwelling nerds who run the sport with impossible numbers that don’t mean a damn thing.
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
  • That bourbon, like all subsequent releases, was aged at Camp Nelson, a warehouse site located a few minutes from the distillery that is legendary (among whiskey nerds, at least) for the quality of the bourbon that comes from there.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As seen on her Instagram Stories, Bella shared a video of her big sister lounging in sweats while smiling and eating pizza on their couch.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • As a caregiver, never go to the hospital or doctor’s office in sweats, looking like a train wreck.
    Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The product marks Kohler’s first step under its new wellness division, Kohler Health, which aims to bring medical-grade insights into everyday routines.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Olivia Jade and Levi McConaughey stopped by to chat about how their famous families influence their routines.
    Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The video shows the pup lounging around in various positions in a home setting, from asleep on the floor and over a blanket to playing with a dog toy and lying on the floor with her legs in the air as a hand rubs her belly.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
  • For a deeper dive into DeRose-Broeckert’s findings about how deer perceive scrapes and rubs, head over to NDA.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For the diaspora characters, hearing the lyrics sharpens both their feelings of solidarity and helplessness.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Look under the surface, and the picture sharpens.
    Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For a deeper dive into DeRose-Broeckert’s findings about how deer perceive scrapes and rubs, head over to NDA.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Data from Revelio Labs, which scrapes professional networking sites like LinkedIn, show a gain of 60,000 jobs last month, mostly in healthcare and education.
    Danny Bakst, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The man simply pounds the zone.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinds. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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