grits

Definition of gritsnext
present tense third-person singular of grit
as in scrapes
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound the crash victim gritted his teeth as a way of coping with the pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grits
Verb
  • With a palette knife, Callie Siskel scrapes at the raw face of elegy, revealing interior forms on a canvas where the poet’s father lives beyond death.
    Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025
  • But the legendary key party scene only scrapes the surface, and the film's blue-gray moodiness is downright enveloping, not to mention its brutally honest depiction of family ties.
    Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There are certainly some top-notch barbecue restaurants that made the cut, but the Michelin selection barely scratches the surface of the South’s long, proud barbecue tradition.
    Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The affidavit said that the victim suffered minor injuries, including a bruise on her left eye and scratches on the right side of her neck.
    Rachel DeSantis, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Grits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grits. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

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