grasped; grasping; grasps
: to make the motion of seizing : clutch
grasping for support
1
: to take or seize eagerly
grasp the opportunity for advancement
2
: to clasp or embrace especially with the fingers or arms
grasped the pen and began writing
3
: to lay hold of with the mind : comprehend
failed to grasp the danger of the situation
grasper
noun
3
a
: the reach of the arms
The books on the top shelf were beyond my grasp.
b
: the power of seizing and holding or attaining
success lay within their grasp
4
: mental hold or comprehension especially when broad
a remarkable grasp of the subject
Synonyms
Examples of grasp in a Sentence
Verb
I grasped the end of the rope and pulled as hard as I could.
I grasped the rope by its end.
His arthritis is so bad he can barely grasp a pencil.
Noun
The author shows a weak grasp of military strategy.
The books on the top shelf are just beyond my grasp.
She moved the toy to within the baby's grasp.
She felt the solution was within her grasp.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
As the nudibranch tries to grasp its prey, the prey fires its tiny harpoons at the nudibranch.
—Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Critics who expected a clear political stance or a film solely about genocide did not grasp the depth of his message.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Jordan Berke, a former Walmart executive, told Bloomberg that the retail giant has a history of studying consumer behavior to better grasp what luxury shoppers actually want—and the effort is clearly paying off.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024
Still, when Stone grasped her Oscar, the distance between the unfettered potential of her character and the constraints still bedeviling women in real life couldn’t have been more dramatic.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
The video shows the woman clinging to the wall before grasping the ladder, holding tightly, as water rushes around her.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
Attorneys with the Student Advocacy Center argued the children did not possess learning disabilities, but instead spoke African American English, a language the school's white teachers struggled to grasp or accept.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
Most of all, Levit demonstrated a comprehensive, from-the-gut understanding of a work that even the most gifted conductors struggle to grasp whole.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Longreads, 5 Apr. 2024
Putin is right about one thing: Ukraine’s sovereignty exists only as far as it can be defended from Moscow’s grasp.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Before the book’s story in present-day China really gets going, Liu spends quite a bit of time in the past in order to give you a better grasp of the Cultural Revolution, the Maoist movement to purge society of capitalists and intellectuals.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
Ingman said the terms are scarier to adults than to children because kids don’t have a grasp of their meaning yet.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
But its passage through the House was more fraught than the vote total might appear: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) bucked the chamber’s rules to force the bill past far-right roadblocks, unleashing rage among some conservatives and slackening Johnson’s leadership grasp.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Like many of us, in the early days of the war, British photographer Polly Braden’s grasp of what was happening was informed by TV and newspaper coverage.
—Zoe Whitfield, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
Restrooms have grasp bars and lower vanity sinks, and there is Braille signage in the public areas and guest rooms.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
The title was easily within his grasp, but his McLaren team kept him out on the track for far too long.
—Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024
Verb
Thankfully, she was intrigued by Jimmy Choo and learned to reach out to grasp his legs and raise her head to interact with him.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
As the nudibranch tries to grasp its prey, the prey fires its tiny harpoons at the nudibranch.
—Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Critics who expected a clear political stance or a film solely about genocide did not grasp the depth of his message.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Jordan Berke, a former Walmart executive, told Bloomberg that the retail giant has a history of studying consumer behavior to better grasp what luxury shoppers actually want—and the effort is clearly paying off.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024
Still, when Stone grasped her Oscar, the distance between the unfettered potential of her character and the constraints still bedeviling women in real life couldn’t have been more dramatic.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
The video shows the woman clinging to the wall before grasping the ladder, holding tightly, as water rushes around her.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
Attorneys with the Student Advocacy Center argued the children did not possess learning disabilities, but instead spoke African American English, a language the school's white teachers struggled to grasp or accept.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
Most of all, Levit demonstrated a comprehensive, from-the-gut understanding of a work that even the most gifted conductors struggle to grasp whole.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
Any writer or editor will appreciate her warmth and empathy, her grasp of craft, and her willingness to help writers get a foothold even when not accepting their manuscript.
—Longreads, 5 Apr. 2024
Putin is right about one thing: Ukraine’s sovereignty exists only as far as it can be defended from Moscow’s grasp.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Before the book’s story in present-day China really gets going, Liu spends quite a bit of time in the past in order to give you a better grasp of the Cultural Revolution, the Maoist movement to purge society of capitalists and intellectuals.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
Ingman said the terms are scarier to adults than to children because kids don’t have a grasp of their meaning yet.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
But its passage through the House was more fraught than the vote total might appear: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) bucked the chamber’s rules to force the bill past far-right roadblocks, unleashing rage among some conservatives and slackening Johnson’s leadership grasp.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Like many of us, in the early days of the war, British photographer Polly Braden’s grasp of what was happening was informed by TV and newspaper coverage.
—Zoe Whitfield, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
Restrooms have grasp bars and lower vanity sinks, and there is Braille signage in the public areas and guest rooms.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
The title was easily within his grasp, but his McLaren team kept him out on the track for far too long.
—Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grasp.' 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 grasp
Cite this Entry
“Grasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grasp. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grasp
1 of 2 verb1
: to make the motion of seizing : clutch
grasp at straws
2
: to clasp or embrace with or as if with the fingers or arms
3
: to lay hold of with the mind : comprehend
failed to grasp its importance
grasper
noun
grasp
2 of 2 noun1
2
: control entry 2 sense 1, hold
land in the grasp of a tyrant
3
a
: the reach of the arms
the tree limb was beyond my grasp
b
: the power of seizing and holding
success lies within their grasp
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