as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles
eons of incessant pounding by the waves have comminuted the once-rocky shoreline into a bed of fine-grained sand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 comminute
The report of displacement (out of alignment) is not as worrisome as if the fracture was comminuted (pieces).
—
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Also, this prognosis is rooted in my hopefulness the fracture is not comminuted (in multiple pieces), as that might prolong the timeline by a couple of weeks.
—Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Also, this prognosis is rooted in my hopefulness the fracture is not comminuted (in multiple pieces), as that might prolong the timeline by a couple of weeks.
—Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
Verb
-
These mental health conditions can lead to bruxism (teeth grinding), which can affect the tongue.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
16 Mar. 2025
-
The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
My heart started pounding a little after Sigmon's lawyer read his final statement.—
Jeffrey Collins,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2025
-
The overnight barrage -- which also pounded residences and wounded at least 10 people -- came days after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine to pressure it into accepting a peace deal being pushed by the Trump administration.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Locals can try the Costa Brava, which contains clams, crab, pancetta, tomatoes, crushed chili and lemon.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2025
-
But that still left the question of how to cover the crushing fees of a major health problem like cancer.—
Alana Semuels,
TIME,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Standing in front of black and white curtains, Abuja Area Mama powders her face.—
Damisola Sulaiman,
The Dial,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Soot blew in through gaps and cracks, sneaked under doors and snowed down from vents, homeowners said, powdering their carpets, closets, couches, pillows and quilts.—
Jack Healy,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Dallas Hobbs beat the buzzer with a three to put Mount St. Mary’s ahead 48-38 at halftime.—
Jeff Wallner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
-
The Huskies scored five goals in the third period to beat Harvard on Jan. 4 to start a seven-game unbeaten streak.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
By contrast, most whole wheat flour found in US supermarkets is roller milled by metal drums and quite a bit coarser than atta.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appétit,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Large groups of people milled around displays of Israeli drones and other battlefield tech, speaking with company representatives at the bustling pavilion and asking questions about the hardware.—
Natasha Turak,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
That’s produced by removing the cacao bean shell after the bean has fermented and dried, and then using rollers to press out the fat in the bean – the cocoa butter – and pulverizing the remaining cocoa cakes into powder.—
Kendra Nordin Beato,
The Christian Science Monitor,
13 Feb. 2025
-
The blockage is pulverized to particles smaller than the size of a red blood cell that harmlessly exit the bloodstream.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Players like Bobby Bonilla, George Foster, Vince Coleman, Jason Bay, Justin Verlander, Kaz Matsui, and others, came to Queens with high hopes that eventually disintegrated.—
Bob Raissman,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The top courses of the concrete block had disintegrated, and were nothing more than sand and small stones.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share