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

Relevance

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
The fight itself became a contest of grit between two legends—both past their prime but unbroken in will. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 Lange, bless her, lends some stability to this narratively shaky material through her performance, effectively conveying a mix of vulnerability and grit as Constance. — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
Then the coach known as the most impulsive man on an NFL sideline runs that stop sign, grits his teeth and breaks unbound into character. — Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026 Some combination of Viel, Johnston and Harkins could return on modest deals to add depth and grit to the group. — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 10 June 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
  • As Earth faces an overwhelming alien threat, these young aviators are thrown into relentless combat that tests their loyalty, courage and faith in one another.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • One woman writing for Hers described spending about an hour working up the courage for her first weight-loss shot, only to find the thin needle barely hurt.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of courage
Verb
  • Pamir, which uses machine learning to scrape, parse and categorize vast amounts of unstructured video, image and social media data for its SaaS database, offers another tool.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrape
Noun
  • But more importantly — and what comes with age — is having the fortitude not to follow them.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • That mental fortitude stood out to Green during a minor-league game in which Voit started 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of fortitude
Verb
  • Perhaps that’s just a tactic of a contender behind in the polls and scratching away to be the first Republican to lead California since Arnold Schwarzenegger.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The fight was so violent that each one of them punched, scratched, bit and slapped the other, Linhardt said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • His bravery and commitment deserve mountains of reverence, of course.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Machchhar’s actions have received widespread praise from political leaders, passengers who were onboard, those who know him as well as strangers who gathered in his home town to celebrate his bravery.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bravery
Verb
  • Hitler wanted more dead, but his early lightning victories—Poland beaten in weeks, France in forty days—had turned into a grinding nightmare for the Nazis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Raunchiest Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of grind
Noun
  • Ambitious mukbang-ers eager to prove their gastronomic stamina descended on Red Lobster locations across the country to consume absurd quantities of shrimp.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This 35% discount brings an already affordable crowd favorite straight into impulse-buy territory, giving travelers, students, and outdoor fans a chance to grab long-lasting battery stamina and water-resistant durability.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 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
grits
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grit. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on grit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grit

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All