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
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
What follows is not a quick montage of temporary setbacks, but a grinding legal odyssey through an all-too-familiar hell determined to make the already-struggling Amanda pay for someone else’s mistake.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
After spending much of 2025 locked in a grinding consolidation, PEG has now broken above its bearish trendline, signaling a transition from defense to accumulation.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Hana starts taking home a rib cage here, a few bones there, grinding them up with a mortar and pestle to make her own DIY version of the gray.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Part of the issue is that many cardholders assume that there's only one way to deal with their growing credit card debt, and that's grinding through years of payments while the interest charges continue to compound.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The wheel could then be attached to a corn-grinding machine so that each step would help mash the kernels.
—Outside, 31 Jan. 2026
As long as immigration remains the main issue keeping the GOP together, the mass deportation machine will keep grinding.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Many came from grinding poverty and squalor.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
What follows is not a quick montage of temporary setbacks, but a grinding legal odyssey through an all-too-familiar hell determined to make the already-struggling Amanda pay for someone else’s mistake.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
After spending much of 2025 locked in a grinding consolidation, PEG has now broken above its bearish trendline, signaling a transition from defense to accumulation.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Hana starts taking home a rib cage here, a few bones there, grinding them up with a mortar and pestle to make her own DIY version of the gray.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Part of the issue is that many cardholders assume that there's only one way to deal with their growing credit card debt, and that's grinding through years of payments while the interest charges continue to compound.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The wheel could then be attached to a corn-grinding machine so that each step would help mash the kernels.
—Outside, 31 Jan. 2026
As long as immigration remains the main issue keeping the GOP together, the mass deportation machine will keep grinding.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 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
-
Finally, disinfect the tools by wiping the blades with a cloth dampened with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
-
When the hook comes back around, he’s still posted in that corner, this time rubbing his hands together like a Birdman reaction gif.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 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
-
Modern folding saws are effective for larger branches and have replaceable blades, eliminating the need for sharpening.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Mercury fuses with Pluto in your money zone, sharpening budget choices and prompting frank talks about fair compensation.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After polishing the piece, rinse it well and wash it with dish soap and water again to ensure all the cream is removed.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
-
This gentle, sensitive-skin-friendly exfoliating sugar scrub helps to melt away makeup, excess oil, and buildup, all while buffing and polishing without stripping the skin.—
Melony Forcier,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mock suggests using gentle cleaning tools to avoid scratching the flooring.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Dishwasher Tablet Use a damp dishwasher tablet (not a pod) to scrub away grease from the inside of your glass oven door without scratching.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For a fraction of the cost of private colleges — and often far less than out-of-state public universities — CSU offers students a genuine opportunity to build skills, and increase lifetime earnings without crushing debt.—
Andrea Mays,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Watts on Tuesday also highlighted a September 2025 incident in which a worker suffered a crushing injury inside a tunnel after being pinned between two 4,000-foot pipes.—
Jessica Hill,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Using a damp, non-abrasive sponge, scrub in circular motions.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Martha prefers using a good-quality, non-abrasive silver polish over other methods, saying that she's used Wright’s Silver Cream for years.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinding. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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