1
2
as in nerds
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits
don't be such a grind—go out with your friends and enjoy yourself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sweats
very hard or unpleasant work
yard work is a real grind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in routines
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity
the daily grind of a 50-mile commute was getting old
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in rubs
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 grits
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
4
as in smooths
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
as in pounds
to reduce to fine particles
grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of grinds
Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of fresh pepper.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
The base of the ski will be prepared with various grinds that respond to various snow conditions.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Don’t put corn husks, coffee grinds, onion peels, peach pits, eggshells, bones, vegetable peels, meat scraps, grease and large amounts of pasta down the drain.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
This is because the amount of coffee that can fit in a volumetric measuring tool like a tablespoon can vary with different grinds.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
Water is drawn up through the grinds via the food-grade tubing and centrifugally extracted to yield a 12-oz (355-ml) serving of cold brew coffee in five minutes.
—Shirl Leigh
january 22, New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2026
Upgrade your movie marathons, gaming grinds, and Sunday chill sessions with this gorgeous 50 inch Hisense 4K Smart TV.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
It’s finished with a generous sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Scrubbing a dry, dirty window just grinds grit into the glass.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Then, just to flub any chance for enjoying some dumb fun with a skilled cast hamming it up, the sloppy story grinds the all-too-predictable, all-too-lame whodunit to a halt, as well.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
That has led to longer regular-season schedules followed by tougher tournament grinds, particularly for those without multi-round byes awarded to top seeds.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Flashing by, indistinct, until something re-markable or strange grinds the journey to a halt.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
The dramatic move comes as shipping traffic grinds to an effective halt in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, amid fears of prolonged disruption to global trade.
—Dan Mangan,garrett Downs,leslie Josephs,holly Ellyatt,chloe Taylor,sam Meredith,azhar Sukri,anniek Bao,kevin Breuninger,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
But by the start of this season, our young capitalists have been flung further afield into new jobs and new places that stir up a vague sense of menace even before the actual danger of the plot grinds into action.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Feb. 2026
Nothing grinds my gears like shopping for luxury fashion pieces, only to learn that the fabric is made of cheap material (insert crying emoji).
—Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
Finish with a few grinds of black pepper and serve.
—Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of fresh pepper.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
The base of the ski will be prepared with various grinds that respond to various snow conditions.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Don’t put corn husks, coffee grinds, onion peels, peach pits, eggshells, bones, vegetable peels, meat scraps, grease and large amounts of pasta down the drain.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
This is because the amount of coffee that can fit in a volumetric measuring tool like a tablespoon can vary with different grinds.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
Water is drawn up through the grinds via the food-grade tubing and centrifugally extracted to yield a 12-oz (355-ml) serving of cold brew coffee in five minutes.
—Shirl Leigh
january 22, New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2026
Upgrade your movie marathons, gaming grinds, and Sunday chill sessions with this gorgeous 50 inch Hisense 4K Smart TV.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
It’s finished with a generous sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
The all-metal body and burrs (the wheely thing that grinds the pepper) sounded promising.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Scrubbing a dry, dirty window just grinds grit into the glass.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Then, just to flub any chance for enjoying some dumb fun with a skilled cast hamming it up, the sloppy story grinds the all-too-predictable, all-too-lame whodunit to a halt, as well.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
That has led to longer regular-season schedules followed by tougher tournament grinds, particularly for those without multi-round byes awarded to top seeds.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Flashing by, indistinct, until something re-markable or strange grinds the journey to a halt.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
The dramatic move comes as shipping traffic grinds to an effective halt in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, amid fears of prolonged disruption to global trade.
—Dan Mangan,garrett Downs,leslie Josephs,holly Ellyatt,chloe Taylor,sam Meredith,azhar Sukri,anniek Bao,kevin Breuninger,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
But by the start of this season, our young capitalists have been flung further afield into new jobs and new places that stir up a vague sense of menace even before the actual danger of the plot grinds into action.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Feb. 2026
Nothing grinds my gears like shopping for luxury fashion pieces, only to learn that the fabric is made of cheap material (insert crying emoji).
—Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinds
Noun
-
Rabies, a virus transmitted through bites and scratches, poses risks to both humans and pets.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Each sample was placed against a black background and backlit to reveal surface scratches.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And after years of comics being the domain of middle-aged male nerds, the audience for the books is younger and more diverse than before, thanks to Gen Z growing up on non-superhero graphic novels such as Dav Pikey’s Dog Man and the works of Raina Telgemeier.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
For space nerds, that's about 15% more power than the SLS rocket's Saturn V predecessor used for the Apollo missions, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These pants have a unique stitching going right down the middle of the leg, which look more stylish than typical sweats.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The night before the Wolverines played Saint Louis, May tossed on his sweats and was making his way through the team hotel hallway to watch some film.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This makes spring an ideal time to reassess your cleaning habits and start new home maintenance routines.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Brown saw it in the smallest routines at Northwood.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Give him lots of treats and belly rubs!—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
It can be added to marinades, soups, sauces, rubs, and is often on the table to be added to whatever dish is being served.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 By afternoon, your focus sharpens on goals.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
December 22 – January 19 By afternoon, your focus sharpens on goals.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Avène’s Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream smooths it all, thanks to soothing thermal spring water that helps skin bounce back from stress.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The brand’s stretch jean tech somehow smoothes my stomach and clings to my legs without feeling restrictive.—
Elizabeth Mitchell Kadar,
Glamour,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Avery Sullivan, with whom Morris also plays in the country-rock band Fust, keeps loose time on drums, tapping the snare like someone setting down coffee mugs while Libby Rodenbough scrapes out a few melody lines on her fiddle and colors empty spaces with some ghostly tremolo.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
-
To show me, Max reaches a metal pick into a tank of clear water and scrapes a white line that seems to hover in the center of the tank.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinds. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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