GROOVES Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

grooves 1 of 2

noun

plural of groove

as in routines

an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity I can't get into the groove on Monday morning without a cup of coffee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in places

a situation or activity for which a person or thing is best suited after years of bouncing from job to job, she discovered that her natural groove was social work

Synonyms & Similar Words

grooves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of groove

as in files

to mark with or as if with a line or groove if you groove that piece of wood, we should be able to fit this smaller board into it

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in blends

to form a pleasing relationship surprisingly, his flighty, artistic sensibility and her no-nonsense practicality groove together rather well

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 grooves

Noun

For the most part, road-running sneakers have outsoles marked by smooth, flat rubber or shallow grooves, while their trail-running counterparts flaunt lugs that can most effectively grip dirt, mud, and rocks. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 The mesh upper lets air circulate, while grooves in the sole help the shoe bend and move along with your foot instead of feeling stiff. — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026 Still, the fairly standard mid-tempo grooves do little to foreshadow the sonic revelations that were soon to come. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 But much of it also had an obvious swagger and drive, sometimes with grooves that hinted at funk, or at least a Jane’s Addiction-like approximation of it. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 Its signature Hémisphère features fine grooves encircling each plate like rings around a planet. — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026 One of them is Electric Piquete, the veteran Miami band full of Latin jazz-funk grooves and poetry. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026 The costumes and props were as big as the beats and grooves as the band powered through what was no doubt the most over-the-top theatrical event of the 2026 Outside Lands. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026 Across 17 tracks, guitar riffs curdle into sheets of distortion, melodies dissolve into electronic hiss, and grooves are chronically interrupted by fresh rhythmic detours. — Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026

Verb

Each one is see-through, so all the contents are organized but still in view, and the lids feature grooves for secure stacking. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026 But when Las Vegas’s the Killers traded in the Anglophilia and new wave nostalgia of 2004’s Hot Fuss for the E Street Band grooves and Americana imagery of Sam’s Town, fans and critics were divided. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026 Food particles and microorganisms can become trapped in the nicks, grooves, and scratches on the board. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 28 June 2026 Why are there currently rappers from Orlando and Virginia assimilating mid-2000s NYC litefeet grooves into their sound? — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026 So, let’s close out Night 2 with a big helping of soulful island reggae grooves from Maui’s Maoli on the HelloFresh Stage. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 13 May 2026 Cruz grooves onstage with the mystique of a natural rock star — this could well be her ultimate Hall of Fame moment. — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026 Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier. — Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026 After centuries of use, the board bore grooves and marks left by real human hands moving real pieces across its surface. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grooves

Noun

Almost constant air raid alerts in the Kyiv region in recent days have severely disrupted daily routines.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Did the set include useful products that actually upgraded our skin care or makeup routines?

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of routines

Noun

Heat index values may surpass 100° some places during the afternoon hours.

— Steven Sosna, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Its return coincides with citywide discussions about a lack of third spaces — places outside of work, school and home — for teens to hang out that will keep them off the streets.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of places

Verb

Today, four of the 12 largest online sellers to American consumers -- Temu, SHEIN, TikTok Shop and AliExpress -- appear nowhere in NRF's Top 100, because none of them files with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a US retailer.

— Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The beloved character files a claim that the Acme corporation — the fictional company that sells the faulty products prominently seen in Looney Tunes cartoons — is purposefully selling bad products to Coyote in his efforts to catch Roadrunner.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of files

Verb

What could be better than a book that can be read in one long gasp and which blends Wharton’s biting social commentary with sublime flights about the body and the seasons?

— Merve Emre, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
Intertwining past and present, the film fluidly blends color dramatic sequences with black-and-white archival footage, newsreels and amateur home movies.

— Alissa Simon, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of blends

Noun

According to the team, each of those characteristics plays out similarly in real fish of various sizes across different ecological niches.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Taiwanese companies now dominate niches from power supplies to chip packaging and cooling systems, allowing global customers to mix and match suppliers while keeping production flexible.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of niches

Verb

Culturally, college football scratches the human itch for tribalism, which America’s ethos of individualism fortunately discourages.

— George F. Will, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
The brand’s Krossa desk scratches the itch for office furniture that isn’t sterile or corporate-looking.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratches

Noun

Tableside dishes are a highlight, including a seasonal classic Greek salad and mouthwatering whole branzino baked in a coffee-grinds and sea-salt crust, then expertly deboned and served to perfection.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, dill and garlic powder; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper.

— Emily Weinstein, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026