as in scraping
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gritting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sharpening
to make sharp or sharper
better grind down that ax before you even think about trying to cut down that tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in polishing
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
6
as in crushing
to reduce to fine particles
grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinding
Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
In recent years, several demonstrations have expanded onto adjacent freeways, grinding traffic to a halt.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
By modern standards, nearly everyone on earth lived lives of grinding, unthinkable poverty.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Each year, as the weather improves, Russia has moved its grinding war of attrition up a gear.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
The war then settled into a grinding pace, with Russia slowly regaining the upper hand.
—Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Not after grinding his way into a reputation as one of the league’s most disruptive point-of-attack defenders.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Although allowed, the sheriff's department urged extreme caution when welding, grinding and using a torch with fire suppression and a spotter.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns had to sweat, eventually grinding the game out in the final minutes after the Cougars couldn’t quite get it together in crunchtime, and the Aggies simply rolled in their opening game.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Molino Los Hermanos hopes to start grinding in Uptown this summer.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
In recent years, several demonstrations have expanded onto adjacent freeways, grinding traffic to a halt.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
By modern standards, nearly everyone on earth lived lives of grinding, unthinkable poverty.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Each year, as the weather improves, Russia has moved its grinding war of attrition up a gear.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
The war then settled into a grinding pace, with Russia slowly regaining the upper hand.
—Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Not after grinding his way into a reputation as one of the league’s most disruptive point-of-attack defenders.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Although allowed, the sheriff's department urged extreme caution when welding, grinding and using a torch with fire suppression and a spotter.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns had to sweat, eventually grinding the game out in the final minutes after the Cougars couldn’t quite get it together in crunchtime, and the Aggies simply rolled in their opening game.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding
Adjective
-
Recently, internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare likened the platform to North Korean hackers for bypassing anti-scraping protections on websites.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The slightly higher cut helps prevent sneakers from rubbing your ankle or the top of your foot.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2026
-
So, the timing for Mortensen to be making his second show debut right as his ex’s is being pulled off the air is rubbing fans the wrong way.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The director, a graduate of the AFI conservatory, spent two summers growing up gritting his teeth at an all-boys sleepaway sports camp.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Bob Donnan / Imagn Images North Carolina and head coach Bill Belichick picked up a second straight ACC win on Saturday, gritting to a 20-15 victory over Stanford in Chapel Hill.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With even pressure, slowly draw the knife through the sharpening slot from heel to tip, maintaining the same angle parallel to the counter.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Waning support for Israel, and increasingly bipartisan disapproval of the war in Iran, has loomed large over the primary elections, with candidates increasingly spurning the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and sharpening their criticism of the country.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Remove all oil residue from the nail beds before polishing.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Harsh Chemicals and Abrasive Cleaners Avoid using harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners when cleaning and polishing wood flooring.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Eggs may be dyed one color, with designs created by scratching the egg with a sharp tool to reveal the white eggshell beneath.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Florida shooting guard Xavian Lee’s indecision culminated in a coast-to-coast sequence that ended in a head-scratching turnover instead of a potential game-winner.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the Red Sea remains closed, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, then the global economy very quickly, within weeks, goes into recession and brings crushing stagflation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Instead, the Dodgers’ clutch middle-of-the-order threat was able to toy with the Arizona Diamondbacks, crushing a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to power a 3-2 victory and a 3-0 start to the season.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Second, a cleaning agent can be abrasive.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The wheel style system of the Tormek T-1 is much gentler on a knife than the abrasive diamond disks of most home electric sharpeners.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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