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

Other signs include bubbles under paint or wallpaper, tight doors or windows and grooves or maze-like lines in wood. —

Ana Durrani, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 The pieces had been in that container a long, long time, based on grooves in their surface thought to have been caused by burrowing worms. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026 Dust easily collects in the grooves of air vents, and cleaning them regularly is essential to maintain good air quality in your home. —

Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026 Using an old toothbrush and a little bit of the solution, clean corners, grooves, and other trimwork. —

Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 7 Apr. 2026 Much of Electrical Field of Love has a loose, improvisatory feel, with Gibbs and Lewis laying down thick, burrowing grooves, Ross adding textured flair, and Muldrow exhaling drawn-out, chantlike phrases or compact, laser-like screams on top of it all. —

Reed Jackson, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026 Because of its distinct grooves and marks, the stone piece was believed to be some kind of board game – but obviously no rulebook was dug up to confirm this. —

New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026 In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly. —

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 The album’s more frenetic tracks lean further toward the uncanny, developing chimeric grooves that brim with unresolved tension. —

Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026

Verb

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 And perhaps Edwards’ absence will force the likes of Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo to find more consistent offense grooves out of necessity and volume. —

Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grooves

Noun

Families of the district’s more than 390,000 students are reeling with the prospect of life routines thrown into days of uncertainty.

— Nicole Macias Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
So don't forget to eat right, exercise and maintain beneficial routines.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026