1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grate
The traditional dish is laplap, made by grating cassava or taro, mixing it with coconut milk, wrapping it in banana leaves and slow-cooking it over hot stones in an earthen oven.
—
Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Michael Malone lost the locker room largely because his fire-and-brimstone approach to the job grated on players.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
The performance itself grows increasingly grating as the runtime drags on, particularly when Johnny’s scene partners overpower him by connecting deeper and doing less.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
The key to great pimiento cheese is to freshly grate the cheese at home, and to resist buying shredded cheese at the market.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for grate
Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Michael Malone lost the locker room largely because his fire-and-brimstone approach to the job grated on players.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
The performance itself grows increasingly grating as the runtime drags on, particularly when Johnny’s scene partners overpower him by connecting deeper and doing less.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
The key to great pimiento cheese is to freshly grate the cheese at home, and to resist buying shredded cheese at the market.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for grate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grate
Verb
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One of the more common ways bear encounters escalate is when an off-leash dog runs toward a bear, annoys it, and then comes sprinting back to its owner with an angry predator in pursuit.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
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And get annoyed when people spell it wrong anyway?—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The Pirates scratched the winning run across against Anthony Bender (1-1), who got in a jam after getting the first two outs of the inning.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
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Widow’s Bay manages to scratch the same itch as recent idiosyncratic horror offerings like Evil and Castle Rock, municipal comedies like Parks and Recreation, and quaint small-town BritBox mysteries.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
Verb
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When my grandchildren were around recently, Marie was gritting her teeth because her nerves were so frayed.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
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Both of these teams are elite and gritted through losses in the College World Series to get to these finals.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The chest pain that had been bothering her finally let up.—
Tyler Quattrin,
Twin Cities,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Most of the site has been cleaned and scraped, while the work at a nearby synagogue that suffered severe damage is just beginning.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.—
Anna Spoerre,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Verb
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But one snafu irritated a sizable portion of the more than 3,000 students gathered at Arie Crown Theater to hear the astronauts discuss their mission.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
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Health officials say the gas can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and may be especially troublesome for people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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To rub salt into the wounds of longtime fans, MLB agreed to waive its $300 million relocation fee.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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To season uncoated grates, rub them with a thin layer of oil and wipe away any excess.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
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His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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