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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of grinding
Linda McIntosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 July 2026
Those particles may have been grinding in the joint, causing mechanical wear on the cobalt-chromium femoral head that released cobalt into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
Early-career developers are no longer spending years grinding through boilerplate code, repetitively debugging their own and others’ work, and completing other low-impact tasks because AI removes much of that friction.
—
Ameya Kanitkar,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The state law protecting the organizations from criminal prosecution sunsets July 1, effectively grinding the work to a halt.
—
Maya Henry,
Oklahoma Watch,
30 June 2026
Will the full campaign be a substantial and varied experience or just grinding the same raids?
—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
30 June 2026
In that recording, West can be seen taking a mold of Duncan’s teeth and grinding it into and across the girl’s body, seemingly creating bite marks where none previously existed.
—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
29 June 2026
He’s been grinding through physical therapy.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2026
Artisan captures footage of each participant striking up conversations with women, and then plays it back for the group like a football team grinding tape.
—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Verb
The hike includes the park’s east side on the Grasslands Trail, which leads to a Kumeyaay grinding rocks site and the scenic Old Mission Dam overlook.
—
Linda McIntosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 July 2026
Those particles may have been grinding in the joint, causing mechanical wear on the cobalt-chromium femoral head that released cobalt into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
Early-career developers are no longer spending years grinding through boilerplate code, repetitively debugging their own and others’ work, and completing other low-impact tasks because AI removes much of that friction.
—
Ameya Kanitkar,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The state law protecting the organizations from criminal prosecution sunsets July 1, effectively grinding the work to a halt.
—
Maya Henry,
Oklahoma Watch,
30 June 2026
Will the full campaign be a substantial and varied experience or just grinding the same raids?
—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
30 June 2026
In that recording, West can be seen taking a mold of Duncan’s teeth and grinding it into and across the girl’s body, seemingly creating bite marks where none previously existed.
—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
29 June 2026
He’s been grinding through physical therapy.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2026
Artisan captures footage of each participant striking up conversations with women, and then plays it back for the group like a football team grinding tape.
—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
27 June 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.
Verb
-
The bumper was rubbing the tire and a headlight looked to be dragging.
-
Working with the fingertip has a sensuosity which is erotic and raw; there is something very direct about this process of drawing, rubbing, scratching and erasing.
Verb
-
Showed toughness by gritting through ankle and knee injuries in the Final Four and title game.
-
When my grandchildren were around recently, Marie was gritting her teeth because her nerves were so frayed.
Verb
-
Companies that act early—by strengthening resilience, investing in capacity, sharpening worker skills, and rethinking supply chains—will be better positioned to capture demand as it shifts.
-
The attention to sharpening those skills could be paying off.
Verb
-
Parker Kitternan was busy at the console of the church's pipe organ, polishing his musical tribute for the weekend.
-
The deceptively roomy, buttery-smooth leather style features a convertible crossbody strap, metal feet, interior pockets, and an outfit-polishing silhouette.
Verb
-
In a game not known for high scores, the pace of goals in this World Cup has left some fans scratching their heads.
-
In April, when Rojas got news that his father had been rushed to the hospital, Roberts quickly took the decision on whether to play out of Rojas’ hands, scratching him from the lineup.
Verb
-
Many of our schools do a decent job of crushing students’ desire for mental effort.
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And in the end, the Sox scored their most runs in a game since 1970, crushing the Kansas City Royals 22-1 in front of 31,130 at Rate Field.
Adjective
-
Reuse coffee grounds for composting, cleaning, or touching up scratches by leveraging their abrasive properties.
-
Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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