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
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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
Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Nov. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comminute
Verb
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The production, directed with the brooding fluidity that is David Cromer’s calling card, is most alive in the evolving dynamic between Nick and Jacki, whose romance happens by degrees then all at once before reality intervenes and the criminal justice bureaucracy grinds to a halt.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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And, over the weekend, that community showed up in the simplest way possible — side by side in a gym, grinding through a workout, and remembering the ones who didn’t make it home.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The updraft knifed through the building, whose inhabitants were already suffering without heat or power for much of the winter as Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy system.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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There’s a sense of surrender in the way this tune eroticizes total passivity, giving up control, just letting your feelings pound you to a bloody pulp.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If the underdog Hawks had any hopes of evening this first-round series and forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks crushed those dreams in a matter of minutes.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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The Sabres played to their strengths early, using their speed and pressure to force turnovers — three of which led to first-period goals, which absolutely crushed Boston early.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His face and arms are mysteriously darkened, as if powdered with soot, but somehow—and this is the first of a dozen quirks in the painting—his white shirt is in near-mint condition.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
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Each day, an FX makeup team used around 400 prosthetics on the passengers, and made 3,000 gel capsules filled with sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and red powdered Kool-Aid.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Freshman midfielder Quinn Fahey scored the lone goal for the Eagles (6-5-2, 3-2), who beat Andrew for the first time since 2021.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Led by starter Martín Pérez, the Braves started off another series with a victory by beating the Tigers 5-2 at Truist Park on Tuesday.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Front Royal boys' Little League baseball team, which won the state championship last year, milled around the gazebo wearing their maroon uniforms.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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The billionaire philanthropist Stephen Schwarzman milled about with his wife, Christine.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It is first pulverized into a fine powder, then dried, purified, and treated at the surface to optimize its reactivity.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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Curiosity drilled the clay mineral-containing sandstone sample in 2020, pulverized it and placed it within the SAM, or Sample Analysis at Mars, instrument, located in the rover’s belly.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, with Iran’s refusal to end hostilities on unfavorable terms and willingness to fight to the end, alongside Israel’s belligerence and desire to disintegrate the Iranian state, risks of further escalation remain.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
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Late Saturday, rescue crews were trying to determine whether the ValuJet aircraft disintegrated on impact or partially lodged itself in the soft, marshy terrain of the Everglades.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comminute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comminute. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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