grind 1 of 2

1
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the grind of ice in the blender sent the cat running from the room

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2
as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits don't be such a grind—go out with your friends and enjoy yourself

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grind

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry

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2
as in to grit
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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3
as in to sharpen
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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4
as in to polish
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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5
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun grind contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of grind are drudgery, labor, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When might drudgery be a better fit than grind?

In some situations, the words drudgery and grind are roughly equivalent. However, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When would labor be a good substitute for grind?

While the synonyms labor and grind are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than grind?

The words toil and grind are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When could travail be used to replace grind?

The synonyms travail and grind are sometimes interchangeable, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

In what contexts can work take the place of grind?

The meanings of work and grind largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

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 grind
Noun
Add in the grind that comes with extended playoff runs — Florida has played 314 games over the past three seasons and is going into its third consecutive short offseason after reaching the Cup Final every year since 2023 — and the fatigue factor certainly takes a toll. Miami Herald, 4 July 2025 Ginsberg also noted that the grind back to record highs comes as large speculators take out larger short positions, betting that prices will fall. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 June 2025
Verb
In reality, Russian military tactics are much more likely to be driven by its own unrelenting military objective of seizing as much territory as possible before the grinding conflict in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, ultimately comes to a halt. Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 9 July 2025 That's great for long hours of level grinding between quests. PC Magazine, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for grind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grind
Noun
  • Instead of developing its own native system from scratch, Renault uses a Google operating system.
    Trinity Francis, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Writing your own code (from scratch, at least,) has become quaint.
    Billy Perrigo, Time, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Catchers need breaks, and regression is every baseball nerd’s favorite word.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
  • Showrunner Tony Tost was truly an angel, and everyone on board were such freak-ass nerds about TV and cinema, and were so excited to share all these reference points with me, like Colombo.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Waiting there for us was Rhubarb the python snake, who's a member of the zoo's animal ambassador program, which means she was selected to help promote the zoo's conservation efforts and represent her species.
    Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 23 July 2025
  • Just days later, Texas emergency officials urged the public to avoid areas along the Guadalupe River, where floods killed more than 100 people, warning that disaster tourism could hinder rescue efforts.
    Lila Hempel-Edgers July 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • After a smooth recovery, Aubergine is back to his daily routine and being closely monitored.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 19 July 2025
  • Experts say to keep your skincare minimal—consider safe, stripped back skincare like CeraVe and Cetaphil, and avoid adding new products into your routine without discussing with an expert.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 July 2025
Verb
  • Cats can rub against concrete to mark their territory and feel more secure because the scent lingers on the material longer than on smoother surfaces.
    Kelli Bender, People.com, 23 July 2025
  • Again, once the Field School staff restrained the shark, the team of amateurs got to work quickly and efficiently, with the only mishap being a person who rubbed their fingers the wrong way against the shark skin and got an abrasion that drew a bit of blood.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • Opened by chef Alisa Reynolds in 2013, the restaurant became a neighborhood favorite thanks to a Southern comfort menu that’s informed by Reynolds’ L.A. upbringing, including turkey meatloaf, grit fries and BLT sandwiches with fried green tomatoes.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
  • Perhaps our best hope right now might be to grit our teeth about AGI as a north star, push the AI community to realize the dangers and pitfalls therein, and do our darnedest to overcome the downsides.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • This takes many forms, such as advisory boards and customer summits, and experience has taught me that this input can sharpen your product roadmap and positioning, accelerate deals and improve conversions. 5.
    Meghan Keough, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • This show challenged me, sharpened me, and revealed what l’m made of.
    Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • The airy, high-ceilinged white dining rooms are largely intact, the wooden floors polished, the tables set with good linens, the lighting excellent.
    John Mariani, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • His work to polish his technique over the past year and change will come to the forefront this season.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grind. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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