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
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
And Destiny 2 has had some bad grinds in the past.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
This week’s strikes came as the conflict grinds through its fourth winter, plunging cities into prolonged energy blackouts while temperatures dip well below freezing and are forecast to drop further.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
But Kingstown grinds him up through the prison riots, through being fired from his job to accidentally being responsible for the death of his mother.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
But Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby mustered just two shot attempts apiece, spending their time watching idly as the Knicks offense incessantly grinds into a standstill.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
So as teams have started to make more hay in recent weeks against a vaunted Denver defense, Joseph was asked before the Broncos took on Green Bay about what, if anything, changes as a 17-game regular season grinds into its final weeks.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
At bottom, that’s the thing that grinds my gears.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
The Luxe Café automatically grinds beans to the appropriate size and volume for your drink, and has a hands-free frothing system for creating hot and cold foam.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
And Destiny 2 has had some bad grinds in the past.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
This week’s strikes came as the conflict grinds through its fourth winter, plunging cities into prolonged energy blackouts while temperatures dip well below freezing and are forecast to drop further.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
But Kingstown grinds him up through the prison riots, through being fired from his job to accidentally being responsible for the death of his mother.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
But Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby mustered just two shot attempts apiece, spending their time watching idly as the Knicks offense incessantly grinds into a standstill.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
So as teams have started to make more hay in recent weeks against a vaunted Denver defense, Joseph was asked before the Broncos took on Green Bay about what, if anything, changes as a 17-game regular season grinds into its final weeks.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
At bottom, that’s the thing that grinds my gears.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
The Luxe Café automatically grinds beans to the appropriate size and volume for your drink, and has a hands-free frothing system for creating hot and cold foam.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinds
Noun
-
Chemical irritants affect the eyes, skin and lungs first, causing scratches to the surface of the eye, painful skin reactions, breathing difficulties and acute psychological distress.—
Michele Heisler,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Forwards Pavol Regenda, Jeff Skinner, and defenseman Sam Dickinson will be the healthy scratches.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps the most famous home in Los Angeles, The Stahl House, designed by modernist master Pierre Koenig, has inspired countless architecture nerds.—
Hadley Meares,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Advertisement Especially for comedy nerds, the behind-the-scenes anecdotes about working with legends like Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder might be familiar.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Moos wrote that when Frost showed up for a secret interview at a Philadelphia hotel the night before his undefeated UCF team played a road game at Temple, Frost was unshaven and wearing sweats.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Most work dress codes don’t allow for sweats or leggings, but silky trousers have the same comfy-soft feel and will make for a rich-looking outfit every time.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Figure skaters close their eyes and go through their routines.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
This music-heavy YouTube series encourages kids to get moving with original songs and dance routines.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This might happen because antler rubs strip bark away, revealing lignin-rich inner wood that reemits the longer wavelengths in a way bark does not.—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, including schoolteacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer).—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The fact that fishing nets were found in these same deep-sea survey areas sharpens the urgency of that designation.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That context sharpens what India is doing.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As a result, the product hardens, strengthens, and smooths brittle, peeling nails.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Sea buckthorn oil helps prevent breakage, while saffron smooths the hair cuticle to minimize frizz and fight humidity.—
Sarah Hoffmann,
Allure,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meyer helped design a tracking system that scrapes data from Zillow to detect price hikes greater than 10%.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Kgasi makes his way down to one of the vertical surfaces of the pit and scrapes it gently.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinds. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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