against the grain
idiom
: different from what is normal or usual
It takes courage to go against the grain and stand up for what you believe in.
Examples of against the grain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This new form of diplomacy cuts against the grain in Asian diplomacy, where uncontroversial and one-dimensional thinking predominates.
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Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2015
Having an Aquarius stellium isn’t easy, as Aquarius is the black sheep of astrology, because this air sign isn’t afraid to go against the grain.
—Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 12 Aug. 2024
Such a move also cuts against the grain of wider Western policy trends in recent years, particularly within the United States, which have tended toward the expansion of religious engagement to include faiths other than Islam and issues other than security.
—Zaheer Kazmi, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2015
Through machine learning, the scientists homed in on millisecond stretches of brain activity data and found that rapid activity between a couple of neurons in one region appeared to go against the grain but be fundamental to sleep, which is typically represented by slow-moving delta waves.
—New Atlas, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for against the grain 
Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2015
Having an Aquarius stellium isn’t easy, as Aquarius is the black sheep of astrology, because this air sign isn’t afraid to go against the grain.
—Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 12 Aug. 2024
Such a move also cuts against the grain of wider Western policy trends in recent years, particularly within the United States, which have tended toward the expansion of religious engagement to include faiths other than Islam and issues other than security.
—Zaheer Kazmi, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2015
Through machine learning, the scientists homed in on millisecond stretches of brain activity data and found that rapid activity between a couple of neurons in one region appeared to go against the grain but be fundamental to sleep, which is typically represented by slow-moving delta waves.
—New Atlas, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for against the grain
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'against the grain.' 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 against the grain
Cite this Entry
“Against the grain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/against%20the%20grain. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.
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