graves 1 of 2

Definition of gravesnext
plural of grave

graves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of grave
as in etches
to cut (as letters or designs) on a hard surface the doomed climber graved his initials into the rock face

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 graves
Noun
Also stolen was a bronze plaque honoring the 18 unmarked graves of African Americans who were also buried there. Paul Burton, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026 Not far away are the graves of the more notorious citizens, l ike Denver madam Mattie Silks, gambling entrepreneur Ed Chase and with socialite Lena Stoiber. Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026 Blindly following a leader without a moral compass would probably have most of the Greatest Generation turning in their graves. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026 Bulldozers opened a large pit into which individual graves were dug for the 60 coffins. ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 Someone had told him of bulldozers digging mass graves at a Kabul cemetery for those who couldn't be identified. Fazelminallah Qazizai, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026 Osi approached the graves with enthusiasm, moving quickly back and forth through the area before honing in on a spot in the brush. Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Mar. 2026 And since Illinois was emerging as a railway hub, graves around Kane and DeKalb counties were being emptied and their bodies shipped throughout the Midwest. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 The attacks have, however, complicated peace efforts in the region where mass graves were recently found. Ope Adetayo, Arkansas Online, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Las acciones de Google son especialmente insensibles y graves ante el cierre administrativo temporal del gobierno (shutdown), ignorando las peticiones de funcionarios gubernamentales y organizaciones hispanas que les solicitaron mantener la programación de Univision en el paquete principal. Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graves
Noun
  • The boundaries of the necropolis are not clearly defined, scientists said, noting modern planting pits, ditches and agricultural work have obliterated several tombs.
    Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
  • An intimate doc-feature take on renowned Panamanian anthropologist Reina Torres de Araúz (1932-82), who battled the plundering of artifacts from pre-1492 tombs, told from th POV of a soon who lost her mother too soon.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Whether to report adverse events — illnesses or deaths potentially related to the products — to the FDA is largely at manufacturers’ discretion.
    David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Kirby beautifully etches these notions into Miss Black America.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Never — and this includes the Dodgers’ time in bankruptcy court — have the fates of the two Los Angeles franchises been so disparate.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
  • But unsurprisingly, these companies’ fates are more likely to impact the rest of the female founder ecosystem, while the outcomes for companies with male founders facing the same challenges won’t affect men’s ability to raise capital.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The company also engraves the names of the two teams, the final score, the location of the game and its date on the trophy base.
    Paul Edward Parker, The Providence Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Every watch represents almost a full year of work, and the watchmaker engraves his signature on a gold plaque inside the movement after final testing.
    Thor Svaboe, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • No reason was provided for the shops’ demises.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Nov. 2025
  • The mission, the fourth of 2025, would also be Starship's first flight since May 27 amid a year plagued by explosive demises for the vehicle.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The current inscribes some victims’ skin with mysterious scarlike patterns called Lichtenberg figures, which resemble the limbs of a barren tree—or the branching structure of lightning itself.
    Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • What stood out most, however, was just how emotional the event was, particularly considering the many recent passings of some of our most beloved film and TV luminaries.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026
  • When annual results are compiled each January, winners tend to be amateur grim reapers who predicted a mix of shocking young deaths and the passings of anyone over 90.
    Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Graves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graves. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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