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ground

ground

523 7.2
An advantage that one side gains in a competition
  • noun
  • /ɡraʊnd/
: terreno
  • The negotiator worked hard to find common ground that both parties could agree on.
  • common ground
  • lose ground
  • gain ground

So how do you hold your ground and let someone in?

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Examples

  • Collis compels the reader to find common ground within the cultural volumes of language.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Despite these obstacles, the Northwest remains fertile ground for efforts to resolve economic and environmental conflicts.

    Academic text (1993)
  • So how do you hold your ground and let someone in?

  • On the news they said the U.S. is really starting to gain ground over there.

  • You were either gaining ground or you were losing ground in that second.

  • A few bold civilians stood their ground and fired back at the soldiers.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Fundamentalists want to regain ground which, in their view, has been unfairly taken from them.

    Academic text (1991)
  • By rejecting options two, four, and five, the governor sought to find middle ground between traditionalists and modernists.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Social workers can help educators and caregivers find common ground in the face of conflicting perspectives.

    Academic text (2013)
  • In the debate last night, she was able to hold her ground against the opposing arguments.

Synonyms

high ground
vsground
  • Informal
38 4.2

An advantage in an argument or moral debate

is a more general position or advantage to win or defend in disputes

Antonyms

661 1.4

The event when you stop having someone or something important

105 2.9

A condition that makes it harder to succeed or compete

Idioms

into the ground
  • Informal
31 7.3

Make a person or company exhausted to the point of ruin by pushing them too hard

To build something completely from the very beginning

Feeling safe and confident after a time of doubt or worry

To deal with a larger area or more topics

5 6.8

Careful attention to the latest news and trends

To admire someone too much and ignore their faults

Completely right for someone or something

Be perfect for someone or something

Keep a morally better or stronger position in an argument

1 8.2

Make facts clear by showing proof

Treat a holy place like a temple with disrespect by damaging or polluting it

To pay close attention to what people say and do to know what is happening

Compounds

81 3.2

Shared ideas or interests that help people agree and work together

A refusal to change your opinion when others disagree

48 6.2

The place where a major disaster or attack happens, often the area most affected

48 3.1

A basic agreement made at the start to guide how people act

43 4.2

An agreement both sides can accept

41 4.6

The place in New York City where the World Trade Center was before the 2001 terrorist attacks

41 4.1

Soldiers and army groups that fight and work on land, not in the air or at sea

high ground
  • Informal
38 4.2

An advantage in an argument or moral debate

32 1.0

A building level at the same height as the street

24 2.4

The height of the ground outside or the floor at that height

22 1.0

Finely chopped meat from a cow used for cooking

17 1.8

Firm land you can stand on instead of water

17 3.9

A place where people are buried, like a cemetery

15 3.7

An early stage of a company or project before it grows

14 1.0

A fine spice from crushing peppercorns that adds heat to food

ground ball
  • Jargon
12 3.4

In baseball, a ball hit so it rolls or bounces on the ground

9 3.3

A group of workers who check and fix airplanes at an airport

8 3.6

A place where things start and grow, often causing trouble like crime or fake news

8 6.3

The exact place on the ground most damaged by a bomb or explosion

A place where people throw away unwanted things, often illegally

8 2.8

Water under the ground that fills spaces in soil and rock

7 7.9

A law allowing someone to use force, even deadly force, without first trying to leave when threatened

A place where animals go to mate and raise young or where problems start and grow

An area where people hunt wild animals for food or sport

A place where people try new ideas or products to see if they work

A team that talks to pilots and guides planes during landing

6 3.0

On the lowest level of a building that is level with the outside ground

An attack by soldiers on land against enemy positions

A place where people test new products, skills, or ideas to see if they work

A large flat area where soldiers march and stand for ceremonies

An area of land used for something, like a garden or park

3 3.7

Plants that grow low and spread over soil to protect it in gardens

A small animal that lives in holes in the ground and often has stripes

hunting ground
  • Informal
2 4.6

A place where people look for chances to get things they want

2 3.6

A place where a person, group, or animal feels most comfortable, often a team's regular field

air-to-ground
  • Specialized
2 4.7

Used from a plane to attack or send messages to targets on the ground

ground fire
  • Specialized
2 7.1

A slow burn in the layer of dead leaves and wood under the soil, often without visible flames

ground glass
  • Specialized
1 7.1

Glass with a rough surface that makes light softer and less bright

A place where people put up tents or park camper vans on holiday

1 9.9

A small European plant with edible tubers that look like nuts

burying ground
  • Archaic
1 6.1

An area of land with graves for dead people, like a cemetery

ground stroke
  • Jargon
1 3.5

A tennis hit made after the ball bounces once on the court

1 9.6

A very large extinct mammal with long claws that lived on land in the Americas long ago

1 6.9

A long deep wave in the sea from storms far away or earthquakes

ground effect
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A plane gets extra upward lift and less air resistance when it flies very close to the ground

1 2.3

A small piece of land used for growing plants

ground glass
  • Specialized
1 8.0

Very small pieces of glass used like sand to clean or smooth things

An event that marks the official start of building work

ground ice
  • Specialized
1 7.2

Frozen water below the ground that forms when water in soil freezes in very cold places

ground plan
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A drawing that shows the rooms on the ground floor of a building

ground state
  • Specialized
1 6.1

The lowest energy level that an atom or particle can have

1 4.5

A cloth you put under a tent to stop wetness from the ground

A shiny black or metallic beetle that lives on the ground and eats harmful insects

air-to-ground missile
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A weapon that a plane fires to hit targets on the ground

1 2.3

An outdoor place with tables where people eat and relax

A small plant that makes edible berries inside a thin paper husk

1 7.7

A low green plant that grows along the ground with round leaves and small purple flowers

pleasure ground
  • Archaic
1 5.0

A park with rides, games, and places to eat

A large squirrel that lives in burrows in far northern North America and hibernates for many months

ground noise
  • Specialized
1 6.5

Unwanted background sound or electrical hiss that hides the true signal

A plant that grows very close to the ground and spreads out

ground-service crew
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A team of mechanics who check, fix, and refuel aircraft on the ground

1 7.6

A regular payment a tenant makes to the owner for use of the land

teeing ground
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A small area at the start of a golf hole where players hit the first shot

1 8.6

A low plant like a small juniper that covers the ground in woods

ground cable
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A heavy cable that holds a buoy to an anchor on the seabed

ground bass
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A short low tune that repeats while other parts change

1 4.7

A place someone often visits or spends time in

ground wave
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A radio wave that travels along the Earth's surface and follows its curve

ground tackle
  • Specialized
1 9.1

The anchor, cables, and other equipment that keep a boat in place

1 8.6

A place where farm animals like cows or sheep lie down to sleep at night

1 9.9

A low shrub with rough stems and spreading roots that makes flat clusters of small flowers

ground loop
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A sudden uncontrolled turn a plane makes while moving on the ground

How Strong

stronghold
68 5.5
ground
523 7.2
advantage
∞ 2.8
position
∞ 1.0
stance
174 3.9

Surface Forms

ground singular
grounds plural

Etymology

To gain or lose ground in a fight or competition comes from the idea of land or space under your feet; since ground meant 'land' you control, gaining ground means winning space or an advantage.