ground (down)

verb

Definition of ground (down)next
past tense of grind (down)
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress the workers are being ground down by the long work hours which leave them little time for anything else

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground (down)
  1. overwhelmed
  2. devastated
  3. overcame
Verb
  • Wildfire smoke has overwhelmed large swathes of the Pacific Northwest, reaching hazardous levels in areas closest to active blazes.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • After leading the Hurricanes to the national championship game — a loss to Fernando Mendoza and Indiana — Beck wasn't overwhelmed by the national stage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelmed
Verb
  • The massacre devastated Wilmington’s flourishing Black middle class and sent a message of impunity to white vigilantes nationwide.
    — Namara Smith, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The Village, which survived the disaster even as much of the rest of the surrounding downtown commercial corridor was devastated, has undergone an extensive restoration.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • After two weeks, the zoo called off its rescue efforts, and the city (and some birders) cheered for the bird hero that overcame the odds.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Against all odds, Flamengo overcame the multiple avian invasions to win the match 1-0.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcame
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.

Browse Nearby Words

groundbursts
ground (down)
grounded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ground (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20%28down%29. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All