gravel 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of gravelnext
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gravel

2 of 3

verb

as in to baffle
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gravel

3 of 3

noun

as in sand

Related 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 gravel
Adjective
The first part of the road, which is paved, is maintained by the state; the rest is gravel and stretches across Seymour's property and those of other neighbors. — Dana Hedgpeth The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2026 Starting on Burlington’s waterfront, this 13-mile route traces the shoreline before funneling riders onto the Colchester Causeway, a narrow, gravel path that stretches across Lake Champlain. — Erin Gifford, Outside, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
This is still a midsize SUV designed around passenger accommodation rather than the pursuit of sporty driving dynamics or a rugged image that will never see anything rougher than a gravel driveway. — New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026 Spread Gravel Gophers prefer to excavate smooth, loose dirt, so spreading a 6- to 8-inch layer of coarse gravel around flexible underground irrigation pipes or cables can protect them from gnawing gophers. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gravel
  1. hoarse
  2. baffle
  3. sand
  4. gruff
  5. puzzle
  6. soil
  7. husky
  8. confuse
Adjective
  • Now life was like that; some days fine and firm and full of whatever, while other days the hoarse bark of the neighbors’ dog or a friend’s grim diagnosis and her body succumbed to an emotional gravity that pulled her into a free fall.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Singers didn’t want their voices to get hoarse over the long night or week.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoarse
Verb
  • To me, Neil Simon’s comedy is a masterclass in the architecture of laughter, and I’ve long been baffled that this extraordinary play hasn’t received a major revival in recent years.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The latest weakening of criteria is baffling if not unsurprising given the agency’s pitifully weak, unserious leadership.
    — Diana Urban, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of baffle
Noun
  • Away from the sand, get a different view of the region from the Cabo Rojo lighthouse and Las Salinas de Cabo Rojo salt flats.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The project that started last week has made a big impact so far, restoring some of the sand lost over three consecutive storms.
    — Alys Martinez, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of sand
Adjective
  • Defying the old-school stereotype of the hard-nosed, gruff newspaper boss, Vaughn often mentored young reporters in a serious but friendly and encouraging manner.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Over three decades in stand-up comedy, Bill Burr has gained a reputation for saying, with gruff conviction and political fire, the thing on everyone’s mind.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of gruff
Verb
  • Researchers are still puzzling through what happened to the ancient Maya civilization, which mysteriously dwindled.
    — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
  • To read her book is to be reminded that childhood can be a puzzling passage for anyone, even in an ostensibly simpler time and place.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of puzzle
Noun
  • Bukele late Thursday said in his statement on X that the deployment of his soldiers and equipment on Haitian soil is nearly finished.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • By analyzing drone data, the government concluded that they were launched from Ethiopian soil, added Abdel Qader in a SUNA report.
    — YASSIR ABDALLA, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of soil
Adjective
  • Gomez, who has a noticeably husky, raspy voice at times, answered a fan question about her vocal quirkiness during an Instagram Live session last December.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Her husky voice made Pugh, as an up-and-comer, seem wise beyond her years in breakout roles as a Machiavellian teenage bride in Lady Macbeth and an actor turned spy in The Little Drummer Girl.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of husky
Verb
  • But the other Sullivan has said the decision to run was his own and denied his candidacy was intended to confuse voters or siphon votes in Republican Sullivan's tight race against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman.
    — Willem Marx, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Christina Applegate’s recent revelation that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis is raising questions about how the disease can be confused with other conditions even after years of treatment.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of confuse

Browse Nearby Words

graved
gravel
gravel-blind
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Cite this Entry

“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gravel. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gravel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gravel

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