grind 1 of 2

noun

Definition of grindnext
1
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the grind of ice in the blender sent the cat running from the room

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2
as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits don't be such a grind—go out with your friends and enjoy yourself

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in effort
very hard or unpleasant work yard work is a real grind

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in routine
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity the daily grind of a 50-mile commute was getting old

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grind

2 of 2

verb

ˈgrīnd How to pronounce grind (audio)
1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grit
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound everyone in the car winced when the driver ground the gears trying to shift into second

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3
as in to sharpen
to make sharp or sharper better grind down that ax before you even think about trying to cut down that tree

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure used the finest polishing paper he could to grind down the facets of the diamond before dusting it with a soft cloth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to crush
to reduce to fine particles grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun grind contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of grind are drudgery, labor, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When might drudgery be a better fit than grind?

In some situations, the words drudgery and grind are roughly equivalent. However, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When would labor be a good substitute for grind?

While the synonyms labor and grind are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than grind?

The words toil and grind are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When could travail be used to replace grind?

The synonyms travail and grind are sometimes interchangeable, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

In what contexts can work take the place of grind?

The meanings of work and grind largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

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 grind
Noun
The two-hour event was a short break from the daily grind of preseason basketball for Sabonis, who arrived early Saturday morning from Portland following a loss to the Trailblazers. —Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025 But what people didn’t see behind the headlines and accolades was the relentless grind. —Jane Marie Chen, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Some vessels of that era were built to withstand this type of grinding pressure. —Frederick Dreier, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025 Instead, the film, set in 1952, follows the fictional Marty Mauser, grinding it in New York’s table tennis scene and on the precipice of a major break. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grind
  1. scratch
  2. nerd
  3. effort
  4. routine
  5. rub
  6. grit
  7. sharpen
  8. polish
Noun
  • Even in a game when rookie left tackle Josh Simmons was a late scratch because of an unspecified personal matter, the offensive line with Jaylon Moore filling in for Simmons was virtually seamless.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
  • It is spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal, and first symptoms may include flu, weakness, discomfort, fever, headache, as well as a prickling sensation at the site of the wound, before turning into more severe disease after around two weeks.
    — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • Here, Deadline speaks with the multi-hyphenate about her Kickstarter campaign, the challenges of creating a series and representation in the nerd space.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But hey, whiskey nerds are gonna whiskey nerd and whiskey sellers are gonna gouge.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
Definition of nerd
Noun
  • What To Know According to the Associated Press (AP), the vote enables the county Board of Supervisors to approve rent relief efforts to tenants who cannot afford to pay their monthly costs of living due to the immigration crackdowns.
    — Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Doug McMillon, the company’s president and CEO, said the latest partnership with OpenAI is merely a powerful extension of the company’s own AI efforts and plans.
    — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of effort
Noun
  • Earlier, during a quiet evening at their home in Dallas, Texas, Muhl and her husband Andrew decided to mix peanut butter with some banana as part of their routine of introducing new foods one by one.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • From smart food choices to better sleep routines, small changes can make a big difference for your digestion.
    — Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of routine
Verb
  • Surely, that will rub some the wrong way, but the Tide have now beaten three teams that haven’t lost to anyone else in Georgia, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
    — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The traction offered stability, even in wet conditions, and there was no soreness or rubbing.
    — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of rub
Verb
  • As past and present collide — with U.S. Border Patrol agent Liz Bradley (Tripp) joining the pursuit — Hernán must rely on his cunning and grit to survive and find redemption.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Then there's seals, assuming these rods will extend through a rubber tire surface that gets covered in all kinds of mud, liquid and grit on a daily basis.
    — Loz Blain September 23, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of grit
Verb
  • For the diaspora characters, hearing the lyrics sharpens both their feelings of solidarity and helplessness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Look under the surface, and the picture sharpens.
    — Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of sharpen
Verb
  • Anthropic updated the rule in July, allowing prospective hires to polish their resumes, cover letters, and applications with the advanced tech.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Egos will not be polished but pushed to one side as Tuchel looks for chemistry and cohesion in his group.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of polish

Phrases Containing grind

Browse Nearby Words

grinches
grind
grind (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grind. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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