GRINDING Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

grinding 1 of 2

adjective

as in scraping

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grinding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grind

as in rubbing

to make smooth by friction after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry

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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

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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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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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as in scratching

to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

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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 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 grinding

Verb

Its core 1970s grinding yet melodic bluesy approach didn’t shift when synthesizers became the rage in the 1980s or when grunge overtook the rock world in the 1990s. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The strain of ‘climbing the ladder’ The best esports players often have grinding schedules. — Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 The more than 2-mile section of track will be shut down for platform-grinding work at the Fourth Avenue/Wayne Hultgren and City College stations. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The expansion features six skill slots, greater enemy variety, the return of loot grinding and appraisal, and a massive new map to explore. — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 Kruz and Josie catch the guy’s eye on the dance floor and invite him to join their impromptu grinding session, which is also when Joe catches the pair touching in a way that suggests relationship-level familiarity. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026 But almost all beef that is meant to be used for grinding beef, which comes from Australia or Brazil, is frozen, and a large portion of that goes to food service operations, mostly fast food companies. — Dan Mangan,pippa Stevens, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 The team created a lightweight, non-toxic porous material by mechanically grinding the entire composite, both fiber and resin. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026 In manual vehicles, grinding often points to clutch problems. — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinding

Adjective

If Google can amend its complaint to argue that rights holders directly authorized Google to use its anti-scraping technology to prevent unauthorized access to content, then Google may be able to block a very limited amount of SerpApi’s scraping.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
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

Definition of scraping

Verb

Rubbing Alcohol Head to the drug store for a bottle of 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to clean windows.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
The redyed fabrics showed uniform color uptake and washing and rubbing fastness comparable to the reference fabric, according to the study.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubbing

Verb

But credit Skubal for gritting it out each time, keeping the Dodgers in those three games against the Chicago Cubs, the Kansas City Royals and Brewers.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Showed toughness by gritting through ankle and knee injuries in the Final Four and title game.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026

Definition of gritting

Verb

The Sun conjoins Mercury in Virgo and your 1st House of Self, sharpening your voice, presence, choices, and personal direction.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Truist focused on growth Truist has been sharpening its strategic focus on growth and performance.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharpening

Verb

Live Edit, Video Capture, and Formats Snap Pro 26 continues to build on past iterations' strengths by keeping what worked and further polishing it.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Founders often spend too much time polishing the story when skeptical early adopters are looking for evidence of execution.

— Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of polishing

Verb

Its uniquely wide view will also help scientists decode the intricacies of dark matter and dark energy while perhaps clearing up some contradictions about our universe that scientists have been scratching their heads over for decades.

— Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Use non-abrasive cleaners and tools to avoid scratching the glass surface.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratching

Verb

Consider each target wounded by crushing knockdowns and then killed by piggy-backers, irrespective of the quality of the quarter.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
The writer compared the collapse of civil society to a boulder rolling downhill, crushing things in its path.

— KANIS LEUNG, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of crushing

Adjective

Use non-abrasive methods to avoid scratching acrylic, fiberglass, or cast iron tubs.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026
When Hank and Peggy meet a new family who has moved into the neighborhood, the Laotian Souphanousinphones, Hank immediately dislikes the father, Kahn, who is abrasive, competitive, and often rude.

— Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026