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

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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
It’s built with military-grade grit and made to withstand several MIL-STD-810H tests, which expose it to drops, vibrations, humidity, and even extreme temperatures. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 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
Verb
Showed toughness by gritting through ankle and knee injuries in the Final Four and title game. — ABC News, 23 June 2026 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 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
  • The future will not be shaped only by the power of our technology or our weapons, but by the quality of our conversations—and the courage of the choices that follow.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But, beyond the wall-to-wall coverage and sensational headlines, is a story about the incredible courage, devotion, and strength that Natalee’s mother, Beth, showed in the face of unimaginable loss.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of courage
Verb
  • Here’s a guy who scraped his dollars together, came to the club, and out of all the people there, he gets pulled on stage by Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Personal information gets exposed through breaches, scraped from public sources and traded in criminal marketplaces.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 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
  • Test the plant’s health by lightly scratching the woody stems—healthy tissue beneath the bark will typically look green.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The bear even takes time to exfoliate, using what appears to be a concrete barrier to scratch its back.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • The King kids were quiet and poised, letting the camera inspect their faces, putting on a show of mild bravery for the nice reporter and all the people out there watching at home.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Biden administration, in an act of incredible bravery, doubled the sanctions on the way out, in January of 2025.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of bravery
Verb
  • The Gators have ground to make up, and Georgia is on the horizon.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The stock still looks cheap, trading at a mid-teens multiple on forward earnings estimates, which should help shares grind higher.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of grind
Noun
  • Under that gorgeous screen, the watch is packed with 32GB of storage, tons of sports modes to track your activities, and a myriad of other metrics, including overall stamina, sleep, VO2 max, recovery insights, and even wrist power.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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

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Cite this Entry

“Grit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grit. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grit

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