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ground 1 of 3

noun

ˈgrau̇nd How to pronounce ground (audio)
Definition of groundnext
1
as in yard
grounds plural the area around and belonging to a building an escorted tour of the White House and its surrounding grounds

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2
as in sediment
grounds plural matter that settles to the bottom of a body of liquid strain the coffee to remove the grounds

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3
as in reason
grounds plural something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing evicted the tenants on the grounds that they violated the lease

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4
as in field
a small area of usually open land I'll meet you at the parade ground in two hours

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5
as in basis
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests opposed to the notion that religious law should be used as a ground for civil law

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6
as in soil
the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow stuck the shovel in the ground and went inside for a glass of water

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7
as in backdrop
the physical conditions or features that form the setting against which something is viewed take her picture against a blue ground in order to bring out her blue eyes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in land
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air was glad to be back on the ground after a turbulent flight

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ground

2 of 3

adjective

as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something chopping wood with a finely ground axe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ground

3 of 3

verb

as in to base
to find a basis you're grounding your entire case on circumstantial evidence

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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 ground
Noun
At the start of the 1986-87 season, a combination of previous boardroom incompetence and broader economics saw Middlesbrough not just in the Third Division, but with their ground, Ayresome Park, padlocked. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The building is three stories tall, and customers can drive right into it by means of a ground-level tunnel. — David Owen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
CoffeeGeek’s analysis found K-Cups can cost the equivalent of $21 to $43 per pound, while quality whole beans run $9 to $22 — and whole beans stay fresh far longer than pre-ground. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026 Salt and freshly ground black pepper Remove visible fat from the pork tenderloin. — Linda Gassenheimer, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Verb
Yelich grounded his double down the left-field line off Carmen Mlodzinski (7-7) to erase a 4-3 deficit. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 Marte took third on a wild pitch before Moreno grounded out to end the game. — Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ground
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground
  1. yard
  2. sediment
  3. reason
  4. field
  5. basis
  6. soil
  7. backdrop
  8. land
Noun
  • Toney finished the game with 12 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Fecht later added a 13-yard TD toss to Brendon Salach before sitting out the second half.
    — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of yard
Noun
  • Shower filters are better at reducing substances like chlorine, sediment and certain metals.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • These filters perform much better against chlorine, sediment and select heavy metals.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of sediment
Noun
  • This year’s Emmy Awards opening was sponsored by Marriott Hotels, for some reason.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Many believe that the reason the good opportunities have seemingly disappeared is because the market is too crowded.
    — Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of reason
Noun
  • Of course, one of the best parts of writing a road trip novel is the field research—which for me, involved driving Route 66 over three weeks in October 2021 with my British partner and 1-year-old in tow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Andy Reid has built an unprecedented resume on the field as the only coach with 100 NFL coaching wins for two different franchises.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of field
Noun
  • Insights gained from the pilot project will form the basis for a potential future application of these materials in series-production battery cells.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Venable hasn’t diverged from his early-season strategy of using his relievers early and often and employing openers on a semiregular basis.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of basis
Noun
  • The text of the agreement, which has been released publicly by the administration, establishes a joint study between the two countries on the feasibility of an enrichment facility on Saudi Arabian soil.
    — Chris Boccia, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • If your home uses a septic system, wastewater flows into a tank and filters through soil.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of soil
Noun
  • The partnership will also give Brooks a major presence at Selhurst Park, with branding across pitchside and digital ribbon LEDs, stadium screens and TVs, static stadium assets and the club’s media backdrops.
    — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • As if to prove the point, my wife and I arrived at the lake to find a very fit, very bronzed, nearly naked couple performing complicated yoga poses in front of an iPhone on a tripod, using the lake as their backdrop.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of backdrop
Noun
  • On one hand, the aggressive expansion of data centers is intensifying competition for finite resources like land and water, putting them in direct conflict with agricultural land use in certain regions.
    — , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Florida’s Legislature passed a data-center bill this year with broad bipartisan support — 92-16 in the House, 31-6 in the Senate — requiring large data centers to pay their full cost of service and giving local governments more say over land use.
    — Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of land

Phrases Containing ground

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grouchy
ground
groundbreaker
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Cite this Entry

“Ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ground

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ground

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