grind down
phrasal verb
ground down; grinding down; grinds down
1
: to make (something hard) smaller and smoother by gradually rubbing off tiny bits
The old dog's teeth had been ground down by use.
2
: to weaken or destroy (someone or something) gradually
Poverty ground her spirit down.
These people have been ground down by years of oppression.
Examples of grind down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Excel on special teams Florida’s game is built on creating steady pressure at five-on-five, being relentless on the forecheck and grinding down the opposition for a full 60 minutes.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
The ruling at first raised hopes in financial markets that a hamstrung Trump would not be able to drive the economy into a recession with his tariffs, which had threatened to grind down on global trade and raise prices for consumers already sick of high inflation.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
But tariffs threaten to grind down growth for the U.S. and other economies while exacerbating inflation, which appears to have become stuck stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
The device heats up and grinds down food waste into dry grounds that can be composted in a backyard garden, composted in a city's service, or consumed by animals like chickens.
—Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind down
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Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
The ruling at first raised hopes in financial markets that a hamstrung Trump would not be able to drive the economy into a recession with his tariffs, which had threatened to grind down on global trade and raise prices for consumers already sick of high inflation.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
But tariffs threaten to grind down growth for the U.S. and other economies while exacerbating inflation, which appears to have become stuck stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
The device heats up and grinds down food waste into dry grounds that can be composted in a backyard garden, composted in a city's service, or consumed by animals like chickens.
—Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind down
Cite this Entry
“Grind down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20down. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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