Phrasal verb
grind away
Definition
phrasal verb. to keep working hard at a difficult or boring task for a long time.
phrasal verb. to work laboriously and persistently at a task, often one that is repetitive or mentally taxing; implies a sense of slow, steady progress through effort.
Examples
“He continues to grind away at his thesis every night.”
“Even though the project was exhausting, she kept grinding away until every detail was perfect.”
“The researchers spent years grinding away in the laboratory before they finally achieved a breakthrough in renewable energy storage.”
Examples
simple
“He continues to grind away at his thesis every night.”
contextual
“Even though the project was exhausting, she kept grinding away until every detail was perfect.”
complex
“The researchers spent years grinding away in the laboratory before they finally achieved a breakthrough in renewable energy storage.”
Usage
usually followed by the preposition 'at' plus the task or project.
Teaching tip
the verb 'grind' suggests the friction and effort of a machine; use this to help students visualize the 'slow but steady' nature of the work compared to 'rush'.
Pitfall
He is grinding away his homework.
He is grinding away at his homework.
the preposition 'at' is necessary to connect the action to the specific task being performed.
Phrasal verb
Particles
away
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
grind + away (+ at + object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/grind-away