1
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
2
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
1
2
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
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Recent Examples of grooves
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Dogs have no trouble grabbing and holding onto this ball due to the grooves.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Benson was always more than just a rock radio disc jockey who dropped the needle in the grooves for a few hours and then clocked out.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
In frank yet wordy songs that layer guitars and synths over shimmering grooves, Duff sings about trying to overcome old habits and about her fear that her best times are behind her.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The Game Itself After running through those extensive simulations, the results suggest the game involved one player placing four pieces in the grooves against an opponent’s two.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
The game likely involved one player placing four pieces in the board’s grooves while an opponent placed two.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
The new record opens with a spoken word intro from the funk father himself, George Clinton, which somewhat belies its lack of buoyant grooves, but sets the tone for its poetic and often esoteric themes.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
There, researchers set out to determine how the hilt and blade were joined, as well as the composition of the materials embedded in the grooves of the pommel and pommel plate.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
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
Six strong permanent magnets attach the X50’s sole dust filter to its bottom panel, and grooves at the base of its feet lock one edge into place.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
But on this Royal Oak afternoon teeming with adventurous jazz grooves, Was is happily nestled in his roots.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
Then use a microfiber cloth barely dampened with water to wipe the fixture clean, making sure to get into any grooves and crevices.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Dogs have no trouble grabbing and holding onto this ball due to the grooves.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Benson was always more than just a rock radio disc jockey who dropped the needle in the grooves for a few hours and then clocked out.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
In frank yet wordy songs that layer guitars and synths over shimmering grooves, Duff sings about trying to overcome old habits and about her fear that her best times are behind her.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The Game Itself After running through those extensive simulations, the results suggest the game involved one player placing four pieces in the grooves against an opponent’s two.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
The game likely involved one player placing four pieces in the board’s grooves while an opponent placed two.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
The new record opens with a spoken word intro from the funk father himself, George Clinton, which somewhat belies its lack of buoyant grooves, but sets the tone for its poetic and often esoteric themes.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
There, researchers set out to determine how the hilt and blade were joined, as well as the composition of the materials embedded in the grooves of the pommel and pommel plate.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
Six strong permanent magnets attach the X50’s sole dust filter to its bottom panel, and grooves at the base of its feet lock one edge into place.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
But on this Royal Oak afternoon teeming with adventurous jazz grooves, Was is happily nestled in his roots.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grooves
Noun
-
Residents' routines are shaped by caution and vigilance, and QueenEr'Re's death revived longstanding questions about safety and the city's efforts to address violence.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Fueled by complacency and our tendency to stick with familiar routines, these threats are becoming more dangerous every day.—
Don Aviv,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The discrepancies tended to be largest in lower-income regions, including parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, where there are typically fewer local tide gauges and direct ocean measurements; these places are more reliant on models that perform poorly there.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The fact is that winters used to be colder than this, and in many places in the US, winter is now the fastest-warming season.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The details of the cases were not proactively made public beyond being made available for review for anyone who files a request under the state's public records law.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
When a legislator files a claim bill on behalf of the injured person, staff attorneys for the House and Senate act as a magistrate, and hold a hearing based on evidence from the trial or settlement, and beyond.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The exhibition reimagines graffiti as a dynamic cultural force and blends two and three-dimensional works together.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Beloved cream cheese brand Philadelphia just announced the debut of Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, a ready-to-use frosting that blends Philadelphia's signature sweet-and-tangy cream cheese flavor with a fresh pop of lemon.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The England international credited Emery with giving him greater robustness to find a way out of ruts.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Keep an eye on heavy foot and vehicular traffic that can create ruts and low spots, and correct problem areas.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As such, TikTok content niches like #ShowerTok, where users document their several-step shower and body care routines, have soared in popularity.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Within just two million years of the Great Dying, these animals had already conquered diverse global niches — showing how quickly life rebounded and radiated following the planet’s most severe mass extinction.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Keep clean door mats inside and outside entrance areas to trap gritty dirt that scratches floors.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Records of this meeting clearly indicate that each of these was in dire need of snuggling, as well as Cabinet-level scratches underneath its ears.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of fresh pepper.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The base of the ski will be prepared with various grinds that respond to various snow conditions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grooves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grooves. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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