as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
she was an athlete with true grit, continuing her training despite bad weather and an injury
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grit
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Diggins, for all her grit, has also brought a sparkle to the sport.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grit
Noun
The young men and women flying, maintaining, and fixing the airplanes and manning defenses have displayed competence and grit.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Diggins, for all her grit, has also brought a sparkle to the sport.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 24 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
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grit
Noun
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The farmworkers' rights movement has always been powered by courage, by people willing to endure, to speak out, to demand dignity in the face of injustice.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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But if worthiness is measured by the courage to lead, the humility to listen, the wisdom to hold complexity and the sacred responsibility of walking with people through joy, loss and transformation, then women’s rabbinic leadership has already outgrown the narrow metrics of any centralized system.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His displays of extreme fortitude aren’t limited to the mountains.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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Neither the governor nor the Colorado Legislature have the political fortitude to genuinely face the problem and develop viable solutions to ease the burden of Colorado’s property taxes.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The day started with bad vibes when two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom was scratched from his start with a neck injury.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Rookie Owen Caissie, a late addition to the starting lineup after original first baseman Christopher Morel was scratched with a left oblique strain, then drove in Edwards with a double to left-center.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The suicidal bravery of the Basij has become iconic in Iranian culture, including that of Basij child soldiers.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
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That bravery deserves to be honored above all else.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With activity in the Strait of Hormuz grinding to a near halt, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is predicting a sharp slowdown in global trade.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
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What remains is a grinding war with no clear endpoint and no coherent strategy.—
Kazem Kazerounian,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Kids will learn how to do circus tricks and build stamina along the way.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
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Even up 4-1 in the final 15 minutes, the Rapids kept pushing past the limits of stamina to find a fifth goal, both in the press and in the buildup.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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An essay that lacks the rough edges, occasional clunky vocabulary, or endearing spunk of imperfect teenage writing can quickly indicate over-coaching (or, perhaps worse, the use of AI).—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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Zero in on a slip dress that Bessette Kennedy (played with ravishing spunk by Sarah Pidgeon) wears on her first date with America’s Prince and premiere himbo people-pleaser, John F. Kennedy, Jr.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grit. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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