as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
she was an athlete with true grit, continuing her training despite bad weather and an injury
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grit
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
The movie is like a version of Waiting for Guffman (1996) in which the Christopher Guest character was not a buffoon but an earnest striver with grit and (significant) talent.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Justin Williams, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
The Buccaneers quarterback has been showcasing some toughness and grit through his own injury scares, and also leading the team to gutsy fourth-quarter comebacks.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grit
Noun
When the filler is dry, use fine-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface around the repaired area.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
The movie is like a version of Waiting for Guffman (1996) in which the Christopher Guest character was not a buffoon but an earnest striver with grit and (significant) talent.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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
The Buccaneers quarterback has been showcasing some toughness and grit through his own injury scares, and also leading the team to gutsy fourth-quarter comebacks.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grit
Noun
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The gathering is not passive remembrance, but a collective act of courage.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Against a backdrop of a world divided, these teens rise with fire, wit, and unshakable humanity – delivering a masterclass in courage, conviction, and the kind of hope that refuses to be silenced.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Jan. 2026
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Use a fork to scrape out strands of squash and transfer them to a large bowl.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 1877, the poet Helen Hunt Jackson argued that winter is where fortitude gathers.—
Rafaela Jinich,
The Atlantic,
1 Jan. 2026
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And consider her father’s mental fortitude to play in a 1979 European Cup semi-final against German champions Cologne — and score with a diving header — three days after learning his brother, Hughie, and sister-in-law, Isobel, had been killed in a car crash just outside Glasgow.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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If large stuck-on food chunks remain, carefully scrape them off with a razor blade, being mindful not to scratch the stovetop.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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Bright and spellbinding, glittering and dangerous, London Falling scratches every itch while unwinding this morbid mystery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Trump can also highlight individual acts of bravery, naming protesters in interviews and speeches, and sharing videos on social media.—
Behnam Ben Taleblu,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
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Alu, O’Hara and a third officer who rescued them from the burning home, Robin Massey, were lauded in 1996 by the National Association of Police Organizations as Top Cops for their bravery on the infamous call.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The manufacturing of this dye was a key industry in ancient Phoenician cities, with the precious ink coming from a process of grinding the now almost extinct murex shell.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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At this Walmart, the price of Maxwell House ground Colombian coffee rose by 46% in 2025 and its breakfast K-Cups by 34%.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But the stamina of his thought is exactly proportionate to the depth of his love for his subject.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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Too many are still waiting for resources, for clear answers, for a path that doesn’t require super-human stamina just to survive.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Each design also has its own energy and spunk!—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
15 Dec. 2025
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Last time out, the 49ers eventually showed spunk pursuing the Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders, producing three sacks in a 26-8 win Nov. 30.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grit. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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