as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles
eons of incessant pounding by the waves have comminuted the once-rocky shoreline into a bed of fine-grained sand
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Recent Examples of comminute
The report of displacement (out of alignment) is not as worrisome as if the fracture was comminuted (pieces).
—
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Also, this prognosis is rooted in my hopefulness the fracture is not comminuted (in multiple pieces), as that might prolong the timeline by a couple of weeks.
—Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Also, this prognosis is rooted in my hopefulness the fracture is not comminuted (in multiple pieces), as that might prolong the timeline by a couple of weeks.
—Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
Verb
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Just grinding that long, and then to finally get back.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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The place is a hit, though amid the music and revelry and sweaty bumping and grinding, Smoke and Stack have their hands full, making sure, for instance, that their patrons don’t try to pay for their drinks with wooden nickels.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Russia pounded Kyiv in an hourslong barrage Thursday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 87 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since July.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
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For those interested in exploring opportunities in the legal cannabis space, pounding the pavement can be a heady process.—
Iris Dorbian,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Between takes, Kish crushed Culver’s ButterBurgers, she and Simmons spooned custard at Kopp’s and Leon’s, and the crew detoured to Serbian staple Three Brothers, Vientiane Noodle Shop, and The Elegant Farmer.—
Nasha Smith,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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But their eggs and hatchlings can get crushed by tractors; they’re also being eaten by foxes, crows and sheep.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Standing in front of black and white curtains, Abuja Area Mama powders her face.—
Damisola Sulaiman,
The Dial,
20 Feb. 2025
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Soot blew in through gaps and cracks, sneaked under doors and snowed down from vents, homeowners said, powdering their carpets, closets, couches, pillows and quilts.—
Jack Healy,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The managers were followed by the drum major—not an ordinary drum major beating time for a band, mind you, but a performer out of the books, an artist with the baton.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 2025
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Comcast beat on a consensus estimate for revenues at $29.68 billion for the first quarter.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At this point, Beatlemania was officially gaining steam in America and cheering fans were a constant; the press nicknamed the hotel ‘Beatle Central,’ as fans milled about the grounds and wrote the band messages in the sand below their balconies.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
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Since then, other brands have created similar flaked cereal products made with milled corn.12 While corn is not a gluten-containing grain, cornflakes often contain barley malt, which adds to the cereal's sweetness and flavor.13112 10.—
Lauren O'Connor, MS, RDN,
Health,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What had once been an airy hospital atrium was now a tangle of rebar and pulverized concrete.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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This upgraded Smart Stick model won’t purée and pulverize as quickly as the All-Clad, but the 300-watt motor and stainless-steel blades can still break down frozen smoothie ingredients.—
Emily Farris,
Bon Appétit,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The latest observations of the comet suggest the object, made of ancient rock, frozen gases and dust, has disintegrated on its way to a close approach of the sun, which was anticipated to occur on May 1.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2025
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Mike White slickly disintegrates American family and friend relations — using flashy prurience but no analysis.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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