grind (down)

as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress the workers are being ground down by the long work hours which leave them little time for anything else

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grind (down)
Verb
  • Cruel and unaccountable events pile up, overwhelming any sense of normality.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
  • The ‘Willy Wonka’ phase A sweet, sugary smell overwhelms the next pod at Goodblend. Gummies in hues of orange, red, yellow, green and blue sit on parchment paper a metal tray.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • During a stretch in which the Twins are outscoring opponents 68-29, the team is receiving contributions from just about everyone on the roster while concurrently overcoming the mounting injuries.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • Yet amid the devastation, a few glimmers of hope remain—Palestine’s U-20 national women’s team recently won the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship, overcoming Jordan 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the final following a 1-1 draw.
    Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.
    Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
  • The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.
    Abby Sewell, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
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.

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“Grind (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grind%20%28down%29. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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