What phrasal verbs with “Grind” exist and what do they mean?

To successfully learn English, it’s crucial to expand your vocabulary with new words and phrases. Particularly, phrasal verbs, which combine a verb with one or more prepositions, leading to a new meaning often distinct from the original verb, are essential to grasp. Today, let’s explore the phrasal verb “Grind.” In fact, the word “Grind” itself is interesting and significant as it has several meanings:

• To break something down into small particles or powder by crushing it.
• To sharpen, smooth, or produce something by crushing or by friction.
• To operate a mill or similar machine by turning a handle.
• To rub together harshly; to gnash.
• To drill down into something with significant effort.

When “Grind” is combined with prepositions, it forms phrasal verbs such as “grind down,” “grind up,” “grind away,” and others. Let’s examine each of them in detail, their meanings, and usage examples.

Top 15 Phrasal Verbs with “Grind”

Grind away

• Meaning: To work hard or diligently on something over a period.
• Example: Despite feeling tired, she continued to grind away at her assignment until it was completed.

Grind down

• Meaning: To wear something down with friction; or in a figurative sense, to subdue or weaken someone over time. Reduce or destroy someone’s enthusiasm.
• Example: The constant use of the machine had ground down its gears, causing it to malfunction.

Grind into

• Meaning: To crush or grind something into small particles or powder. Press or twist something hard into something else
• Example: He ground the spices into a fine powder before adding them to the curry.

Grind out

• Meaning: To produce something laboriously or gradually.
• Example: Despite the writer’s block, she managed to grind out a few pages of her novel every day.

Grind up

• Meaning: To break something into smaller pieces, often through grinding or crushing.
• Example: He ground up the coffee beans to make a fresh cup of coffee.

Grind on

• Meaning: To continue for a long time, especially with difficulty or tedium. Talk endlessly.
• Example: The meeting seemed to grind on endlessly, with no resolution in sight.

Grind to a halt

• Meaning: To gradually or abruptly stop, often due to external factors.
• Example: Traffic ground to a halt as protesters blocked the main road.

Grind through

• Meaning: To work through something difficult or tedious with determination.
• Example: Despite the challenging circumstances, they managed to grind through the project and deliver it on time.

Grind away at

• Meaning: To persistently work on something, often with dedication.
• Example: He’s been grinding away at his novel for months, hoping to get it published soon.

Grind out of

• Meaning: To extract something from someone, often through coercion or manipulation.
• Example: The salesman tried to grind more money out of the customer by upselling unnecessary products.

Grind off

• Meaning: To remove something by grinding, often referring to unwanted material or imperfections.
• Example: He ground off the rough edges of the metal to make it smooth and polished.

Grind to

• Meaning: To reduce something to a specific state or condition through grinding.
• Example: The old car was eventually ground to scrap metal and recycled.

Grind away at

• Meaning: To continue working on something persistently.
• Example: Despite the setbacks, she continued to grind away at her business until it became successful.

Grind into

• Meaning: To crush or wear down something until it becomes a certain shape or size.
• Example: The constant pressure had ground the stone into a smooth, round shape.

Grind forward

• Meaning: To advance gradually or slowly, often in a persistent manner.
• Example: Despite the difficulties, the project continued to grind forward towards completion.

Phrasal verbs can be complex, but learning them enriches your vocabulary and allows for more precise expression. With the verb “grind,” you can discuss various actions and metaphorical processes, adding more detail to understand the processes. Remember that practice is the cornerstone of learning the English language.