comminute

verb

ˈkä-mə-ˌnüt How to pronounce comminute (audio)
Definition of comminutenext
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

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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
  1. grind
  2. pound
  3. crush
  4. powder
  5. beat
  6. mill
  7. pulverize
  8. disintegrate
Verb
  • For decades, junior accountants learned their trade by reconciling accounts, manually entering data, and grinding through the month-end close.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This innovation—the mass manufacture of ammonia, vastly more efficient than scraping guano off remote islands or grinding mountains of bison bones—removed the most critical nutrient bottleneck in global agriculture.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • A little girl pounding her fists and screaming; none of the visitors nor the staff were allowed to hold her to provide comfort.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Pistons pounded the inside and scored 24 second-chance points.
    — Dan Gelston, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • Fish die by being crushed, by asphyxiation, or by barotrauma—when fish surface quickly, things sometimes go pop.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Semiconductors have been crushed, down more than 15% this month.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • The woman’s head of auburn curls, so neatly assembled and without a hair out of place, was flung to the side and her cheek, powdered with rouge, was now as red as a sunset.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • And then Hegseth was off to be powdered and rouged and hair-slicked.
    — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2026
Definition of powder
Verb
  • Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists, and Artemi Panarin added a power-play goal and an assist as the Kings beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Monday night.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In a shocking upset, a student movement resoundingly beat longtime Serbian leader President Aleksandar Vucic, ending his time in power after 14 years.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • The park features a food truck plaza, where visitors milling about on Friday could grab treats.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Dean Ferrell is at the farmers market chatting with people and milling around the market.
    — Saige Miller, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of mill
Verb
  • Peña pulverized it onto the train tracks that run above left field.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Outside, addicts wander peg-legged in the pulverizing triple-digit late summer heat, past attorneys in cream sport coats and copper-red ties.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of pulverize
Verb
  • The scouts said the object climbed quickly before appearing to disintegrate.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Particles of disintegrating kelp drifted downward like falling leaves.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of disintegrate

Browse Nearby Words

commingling
comminute
comminuted
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Cite this Entry

“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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