1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sweats
very hard or unpleasant work
yard work is a real grind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in routines
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity
the daily grind of a 50-mile commute was getting old
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in rubs
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in smooths
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 pounds
to reduce to fine particles
grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinds
ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Don’t put corn husks, coffee grinds, onion peels, peach pits, eggshells, bones, vegetable peels, meat scraps, grease and large amounts of pasta down the drain.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
This is because the amount of coffee that can fit in a volumetric measuring tool like a tablespoon can vary with different grinds.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
Water is drawn up through the grinds via the food-grade tubing and centrifugally extracted to yield a 12-oz (355-ml) serving of cold brew coffee in five minutes.
—Shirl Leigh
january 22, New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2026
Upgrade your movie marathons, gaming grinds, and Sunday chill sessions with this gorgeous 50 inch Hisense 4K Smart TV.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
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
ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Nothing grinds my gears like shopping for luxury fashion pieces, only to learn that the fabric is made of cheap material (insert crying emoji).
—Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
This week’s strikes came as the conflict grinds through its fourth winter, plunging cities into prolonged energy blackouts while temperatures dip well below freezing and are forecast to drop further.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
But Kingstown grinds him up through the prison riots, through being fired from his job to accidentally being responsible for the death of his mother.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
But Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby mustered just two shot attempts apiece, spending their time watching idly as the Knicks offense incessantly grinds into a standstill.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
So as teams have started to make more hay in recent weeks against a vaunted Denver defense, Joseph was asked before the Broncos took on Green Bay about what, if anything, changes as a 17-game regular season grinds into its final weeks.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
The base of the ski will be prepared with various grinds that respond to various snow conditions.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Don’t put corn husks, coffee grinds, onion peels, peach pits, eggshells, bones, vegetable peels, meat scraps, grease and large amounts of pasta down the drain.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
This is because the amount of coffee that can fit in a volumetric measuring tool like a tablespoon can vary with different grinds.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
Water is drawn up through the grinds via the food-grade tubing and centrifugally extracted to yield a 12-oz (355-ml) serving of cold brew coffee in five minutes.
—Shirl Leigh
january 22, New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2026
Upgrade your movie marathons, gaming grinds, and Sunday chill sessions with this gorgeous 50 inch Hisense 4K Smart TV.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
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 number of technicians who prepare hundreds of skis with special waxes and grinds to ensure the best glide for the day during World Cup, World Championship and Olympic events.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Nothing grinds my gears like shopping for luxury fashion pieces, only to learn that the fabric is made of cheap material (insert crying emoji).
—Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
This week’s strikes came as the conflict grinds through its fourth winter, plunging cities into prolonged energy blackouts while temperatures dip well below freezing and are forecast to drop further.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
But Kingstown grinds him up through the prison riots, through being fired from his job to accidentally being responsible for the death of his mother.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
But Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby mustered just two shot attempts apiece, spending their time watching idly as the Knicks offense incessantly grinds into a standstill.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
So as teams have started to make more hay in recent weeks against a vaunted Denver defense, Joseph was asked before the Broncos took on Green Bay about what, if anything, changes as a 17-game regular season grinds into its final weeks.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinds
Noun
-
Five Disneyland visitors suffered minor scrapes and scratches in 2008 when a tree branch fell near the Cafe Orleans restaurant in New Orleans Square, according to the Orange County Register.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Low-quality or dirty microfiber cloths can leave scratches behind.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At risk of belaboring the Wallacaissaince, this is an especially fun conversation for structure nerds and systems heads.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
An array of charts buried in the fine print of the state budget, unknown to all but a few fiscal nerds, details what California has collected in revenues and spent over the last half-century.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stood out among suit-wearing panelists by donning sweats and keeping it real.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
My trusty low-slung sweats and oversized T-shirt don’t cut it for skiing.—
Anna Callaghan,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That’s why guys have superstitions and routines.—
Haley Smilow,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
People picked up their brushes (or beauty blenders) and followed their favorite creator's routines step-by-step or used their work as inspiration to perfect the craft.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This might happen because antler rubs strip bark away, revealing lignin-rich inner wood that reemits the longer wavelengths in a way bark does not.—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, including schoolteacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer).—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stepping into the world of Formula One recently, the scale of precision working alongside some of the absolute greats sharpens you.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Scorpio October 23 – November 21 When depth calls, your focus sharpens naturally.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The jeans have slimming panels with a crisscross design that shape and support curves, while the high front waist smooths the tummy area.—
Melony Forcier,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Santorini Grape Velvet Skin Drink is a luxurious face oil that blurs imperfections, smooths texture and replenishes skin with hydration.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meyer helped design a tracking system that scrapes data from Zillow to detect price hikes greater than 10%.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Kgasi makes his way down to one of the vertical surfaces of the pit and scrapes it gently.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinds. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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