grit 1 of 2

noun

ˈgrit How to pronounce grit (audio)
Definition of gritnext
as in courage
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship she was an athlete with true grit, continuing her training despite bad weather and an injury

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grit

2 of 2

verb

as in to scrape
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound the crash victim gritted his teeth as a way of coping with the pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grit
Noun
That team is something that will always be special — a special group of guys who had the grit and truly knew how to grind it out no matter what the circumstances were. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 24 July 2026 The fourth star and a fairytale send off for Lionel Messi earned through lots of grit, fighting spirit and a bit of magic evaporated into the East Rutherford, New Jersey, air. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Verb
Renegade is a closer, and Pletcher has been open about how much grit his horse showed in the Derby, righting himself to run a game second after suffering a few bumps in the early traffic. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026 But the show wouldn’t have worked without Smart, who imbued Deborah with wisdom and weariness, grit and glamour. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for grit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grit
  1. courage
  2. scrape
  3. fortitude
  4. scratch
  5. bravery
  6. grind
  7. stamina
  8. spunk
Noun
  • Many of the others, for now, either lack the courage of Klaveness or, quite simply, still have confidence in him.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • The Gryffindor must hone wisdom, the Hufflepuff courage, the Ravenclaw ambition and the Slytherin loyalty.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of courage
Verb
  • The record’s grainy black-and-white cover shows her with her hair—usually scraped back in her trademark ponytail, or lately a bun, another kind of disguise—loose and scattered over her laughing face.
    — Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026
  • Suno allegedly did the same thing, according to a recent report from 404 Media covering a hack of Suno’s internal data, which seemed to indicate that Suno illegally scraped material from YouTube.
    — Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of scrape
Noun
  • The five points of the star represent the characteristics of a good citizen, which are fortitude, loyalty, righteousness, prudence, and broadmindedness.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • In this scenario, Rogen would emerge as a courageous if idiosyncratic folk hero — one richly rewarded for his stoner fortitude.
    — Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Definition of fortitude
Verb
  • Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo López was scratched ahead of Saturday’s game against the Nationals at Truist Park.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The poor offensive production spoiled a night when the Angels got good enough pitching, despite scratching Soriano.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • The red, white and blue represent bravery, purity and loyalty, respectively.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • Two other female characters who grabbed viewers’ attention, eventually becoming symbols of bravery, transformation, and strength are Arya and Sansa—and yes those names became wildly popular among new parents, too.
    — Parents, Parents, 31 July 2026
Definition of bravery
Verb
  • Atlanta ground back both Mixed matches, but the youthful Slice dominated the DreamBreaker 21-13 to put a damper on Atlanta’s recent run.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • After hostilities began, Iran declared the waterway closed and launched missiles and drones at vessels trying to sail through, grinding traffic to a halt.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
Definition of grind
Noun
  • Within a week, Flaco had triumphed over the doubters who feared that an owl raised in captivity wouldn’t have the strength or stamina to survive in the outside world.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Standards call for consistency, repetition and competitive stamina when the thrill of the anticipation fades.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of stamina
Noun
  • But Alcock is no John Wayne or Jeff Bridges, and Ridley lacks the spunk of Kim Darby and Hailee Steinfeld.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 24 June 2026
  • These small, high-energy pups have plenty of spunk and a big heart.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 11 June 2026
Definition of spunk

Browse Nearby Words

grists
grit
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Cite this Entry

“Grit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grit. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grit

Nglish: Translation of grit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grit

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