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

Freddy straddled all these worlds, observing their points of intersection and grooves of adjacency. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Yet their latest album as Immersion is a work of craft and caring, full of loose but meticulous grooves, open-hearted electronic melodies, and optimism that’s laced with cynicism but not sunk by it. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 7 Sep. 2026 Additionally, its Vibram Megagrip outsole is made with deep grooves that adapt to different terrain to offer customized support. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2026 For the most part, road-running sneakers have outsoles marked by smooth, flat rubber or shallow grooves, while their trail-running counterparts flaunt lugs that can most effectively grip dirt, mud, and rocks. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 The mesh upper lets air circulate, while grooves in the sole help the shoe bend and move along with your foot instead of feeling stiff. — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026 Still, the fairly standard mid-tempo grooves do little to foreshadow the sonic revelations that were soon to come. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 But much of it also had an obvious swagger and drive, sometimes with grooves that hinted at funk, or at least a Jane’s Addiction-like approximation of it. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 Its signature Hémisphère features fine grooves encircling each plate like rings around a planet. — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Each one is see-through, so all the contents are organized but still in view, and the lids feature grooves for secure stacking. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026 But when Las Vegas’s the Killers traded in the Anglophilia and new wave nostalgia of 2004’s Hot Fuss for the E Street Band grooves and Americana imagery of Sam’s Town, fans and critics were divided. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026 Food particles and microorganisms can become trapped in the nicks, grooves, and scratches on the board. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 28 June 2026 Why are there currently rappers from Orlando and Virginia assimilating mid-2000s NYC litefeet grooves into their sound? — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grooves

Noun

Recipe development can be a self-effacing task, obliging the writer to anticipate the appetites and routines of her imagined reader.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
To his right, some 40 yards away, long snapper Liam McCullough and punter Jake Bailey progress through their own separate routines.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of routines

Noun

In her 2015 memoir, Steinem recounts her dynamic, nomadic career as a writer and activist, and pays vivid homage to the people, places, and conversations that shaped her.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
The home country is hostile, literally and culturally, so the characters often turn to America and England, places that are marginally safer but only just.

— Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of places

Verb

Culturally, college football scratches the human itch for tribalism, which America’s ethos of individualism fortunately discourages.

— George F. Will, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
The brand’s Krossa desk scratches the itch for office furniture that isn’t sterile or corporate-looking.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratches

Noun

Tableside dishes are a highlight, including a seasonal classic Greek salad and mouthwatering whole branzino baked in a coffee-grinds and sea-salt crust, then expertly deboned and served to perfection.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, dill and garlic powder; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper.

— Emily Weinstein, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026