GROOVES Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

grooves 1 of 2

noun

plural of groove

as in routines

an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity I can't get into the groove on Monday morning without a cup of coffee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in places

a situation or activity for which a person or thing is best suited after years of bouncing from job to job, she discovered that her natural groove was social work

Synonyms & Similar Words

grooves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of groove

as in files

to mark with or as if with a line or groove if you groove that piece of wood, we should be able to fit this smaller board into it

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in blends

to form a pleasing relationship surprisingly, his flighty, artistic sensibility and her no-nonsense practicality groove together rather well

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 grooves

Noun

This Pride Month edition of a Sunday tea dance promises gospel house, disco and rare grooves at Oakland’s historic LGBTQ+ bar. —

Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 30 May 2026 The Rochester team precisely tuned their metal’s micro-grooves to guide this natural outward force. —

Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026 The rubber sole has tiny grooves at the front of the foot, to keep your feet firmly on the road when running. —

Tim Chan, Footwear News, 22 May 2026 To install, just insert the grips into the bottom grooves of the planter, then hammer each grip to secure it. —

Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2026 One of the most important among these standards was RIAA’s equalization curve, developed in 1954, which standardized the width of the grooves used in records and established specifications for the frequency response of audio recordings (known as the RIAA Curve). —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2026 Singh would clean the grooves with a pin and rub baby oil on the face of the clubs. —

Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 May 2026 Pay close attention to knife grooves where bacteria can hide, Coffman says. —

Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026 As if to cool that fire, classical selections are used to bed large swathes of the film, with electronic grooves that hark back to the heyday of acid house from Paul Hartnoll, co-founder of British rave scenesters Orbital. —

Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026

Verb

So, let’s close out Night 2 with a big helping of soulful island reggae grooves from Maui’s Maoli on the HelloFresh Stage. —

Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 13 May 2026 Cruz grooves onstage with the mystique of a natural rock star — this could well be her ultimate Hall of Fame moment. —

Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026 Released at the top of the year, Vacancy, her third studio effort, highlights Lennox’s warm, buttery voice over the sultry grooves she’s known for. —

Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026 Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier. —

Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026 After centuries of use, the board bore grooves and marks left by real human hands moving real pieces across its surface. —

Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026 Bar Tab Dan Stahl grooves to a cover band in melting-pot midtown. —

Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026 Celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen gives these bright copper nails indents and grooves for a unique way to dress them up. —

Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025 In the spring, Caltrans intends to remove the channelizers and put in what are called rumble strips — in this case, grooves in the roadway — from the School-State Park turnoff to Newport Coast Drive, to gently jar off-course drivers to attention. —

Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grooves

Noun

Stepping away from our usual routines in a different setting, far from our commitments and deadlines, can give us a sense of calm, detachment, and tranquility.

— Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 29 May 2026
For many people, improving metabolic health does not require expensive wellness products or complicated routines.

— Ezekiel J. Emanuel, CNBC, 29 May 2026