minced; mincing
1
a
: to cut or chop into very small pieces
She minced the garlic.
b
: to subdivide minutely
especially
: to damage by cutting up
The director minced up the play.
2
: to utter or pronounce with affectation
minced the word in the manner of the old lady
3
a
archaic
: minimize
b
: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
minced no words in stating his dislike—
J. T. Farrell
J. T. Farrell
: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
The comedian minced across the stage.
mincer
noun
1
: small chopped bits (as of food)
specifically
: mincemeat
2
British
: hamburger sense 1a
Synonyms
Examples of mince in a Sentence
Verb
She minced the onions.
minced some garlic and added it to the stew
Recent Examples on the WebWilliam Earl, Variety, 28 June 2024
Asked to name the love of her life, Mary Kaye Bates doesn’t mince words.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2024
And Wyle, now 53, shared that his mother, who worked for ten years in the operating room and ten years in orthopedics, didn’t mince words.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 24 June 2024
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren didn’t mince any words.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mince 
Verb
The host didn’t mince words, attacking both candidates’ performances and criticizing their inability to put together a coherent argument during the event.
—William Earl, Variety, 28 June 2024
Asked to name the love of her life, Mary Kaye Bates doesn’t mince words.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2024
And Wyle, now 53, shared that his mother, who worked for ten years in the operating room and ten years in orthopedics, didn’t mince words.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 24 June 2024
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren didn’t mince any words.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mince
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mince.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mince
Cite this Entry
“Mince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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