gripped; gripping
1
: to seize or hold firmly
gripped the door handle
2
: to hold the interest of strongly
a story that grips the reader
gripper
noun
1
a
: a strong or tenacious grasp
had a good grip on the tennis racket
b
: strength in gripping
c
: manner or style of gripping
the balanced grip of an expert golfer
2
a
: a firm tenacious hold typically giving control, mastery, or understanding
has the country in his grip
b
: mental grasp
can't seem to get a grip on [=gain a good understanding of] calculus
… I'm curious to see if preteens have a grip on this fairly sophisticated concept.—
John Hoffman
John Hoffman3
: a part or device for gripping
4
: a part by which something is grasped
especially
: handle
5
: suitcase
6
a
: a stage worker who handles scenery, properties, or lights : stagehand
b
: a technician on a motion-picture or television set who handles and maintains equipment (such as cameras and their dollies and cranes)
Synonyms
Examples of grip in a Sentence
Verb
The little boy gripped his mother's hand tightly.
I gripped the door handle and pulled as hard as I could.
The story really grips the reader.
The scandal has gripped the nation.
Noun
His tennis instructor showed him the proper backhand grip.
a golfer with an incorrect grip
He has been doing all he can to maintain his grip on the company's finances.
I need new grips for my golf clubs.
Recent Examples on the WebLuca Evans, Orange County Register, 21 Apr. 2024
The subsequent trial and moral panic gripped British Columbia for years to come.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Decades before the country would be gripped by a mental health crisis among children and teens, Rosenberg earned a degree in child psychiatry, beginning a lifelong commitment to children's mental and physical well-being.
—Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
Finally, the ergonomic design makes the Kitchen Mama easy to hold—even for people with difficulty fully gripping an object.
—Rachael Schultz, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
Oh, and so was a bottle of milk, gripped in one hand, and a visible floor-drobe in the background.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024
The trilogy and prequel novel, which feature homicide detective Amaia Salazar, are gripping psychological thrillers infused with mystery, mythology and superstition, set in the beautiful Basque region of Northern Spain, as well as in New Orleans.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
The spending plan could run into resistance in the Missouri Senate, which began this year’s session gripped by infighting among Republican senators.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
In interviews with a dozen survivors across Rwanda in the two days preceding the commemoration on Sunday, many spoke about the paroxysm of violence that gripped this lush, landlocked nation.
—Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Helen Regan, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Yet as the Republican Party’s electoral grip on the white South tightened, and without the charismatic leadership of Reagan to unite the party, the divide between Reaganite fiscal conservatives and southern cultural conservatives deepened from the 1990s onwards.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
The material also adds just enough grip to make the phone feel secure and generally pleasant to hold.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
She is not frazzled, like the sweaty young mother trying to keep a grip on a slippery baby, a furious toddler and far too much carry-on.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Vehicle speed — When a vehicle’s speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
The setup has been designed to improve grip and reduce spring stiffness without compromising control.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
There’s plenty of grip on the outsole, and they’re also made with a water-resistant material.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
Warm Water: If debris or minor obstructions are causing the problem, soaking the stuck zipper in warm water can help expand the fabric and loosen it the jam.
Pliers: Carefully using pliers to grip and gently wiggle the zipper pull can sometimes help release it from its stuck position.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
So Riley picked up a black plastic fork sitting on his desk, gripping it by the prongs with his right hand.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 21 Apr. 2024
The subsequent trial and moral panic gripped British Columbia for years to come.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Decades before the country would be gripped by a mental health crisis among children and teens, Rosenberg earned a degree in child psychiatry, beginning a lifelong commitment to children's mental and physical well-being.
—Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
Finally, the ergonomic design makes the Kitchen Mama easy to hold—even for people with difficulty fully gripping an object.
—Rachael Schultz, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
Oh, and so was a bottle of milk, gripped in one hand, and a visible floor-drobe in the background.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024
The trilogy and prequel novel, which feature homicide detective Amaia Salazar, are gripping psychological thrillers infused with mystery, mythology and superstition, set in the beautiful Basque region of Northern Spain, as well as in New Orleans.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
The spending plan could run into resistance in the Missouri Senate, which began this year’s session gripped by infighting among Republican senators.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
In interviews with a dozen survivors across Rwanda in the two days preceding the commemoration on Sunday, many spoke about the paroxysm of violence that gripped this lush, landlocked nation.
—Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Noun
India is the world’s largest democracy but over a decade of BJP rule, analysts say the populist Modi has tightened his grip on its democratic institutions.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Yet as the Republican Party’s electoral grip on the white South tightened, and without the charismatic leadership of Reagan to unite the party, the divide between Reaganite fiscal conservatives and southern cultural conservatives deepened from the 1990s onwards.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
The material also adds just enough grip to make the phone feel secure and generally pleasant to hold.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
She is not frazzled, like the sweaty young mother trying to keep a grip on a slippery baby, a furious toddler and far too much carry-on.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Vehicle speed — When a vehicle’s speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
The setup has been designed to improve grip and reduce spring stiffness without compromising control.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
There’s plenty of grip on the outsole, and they’re also made with a water-resistant material.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
Warm Water: If debris or minor obstructions are causing the problem, soaking the stuck zipper in warm water can help expand the fabric and loosen it the jam.
Pliers: Carefully using pliers to grip and gently wiggle the zipper pull can sometimes help release it from its stuck position.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grip.' 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 grip
Cite this Entry
“Grip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grip. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grip
1 of 2 verb
gripped; gripping
1
: to seize firmly
2
: to hold strongly the interest of
the story grips the reader
grip
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a firm grasp
b
: strength in gripping
c
: a way of clasping the hand by which members of a secret society recognize or greet one another
2
a
: a firm hold giving control
in the grip of winter
3
: a part or device for gripping or by which something is grasped
especially
: handle entry 1 sense 1
4
: suitcase
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