grasp for
phrasal verb
grasped for; grasping for; grasps for
: to try in a desperate or awkward way to get (something)
His sudden decision to quit the race has left his supporters grasping for explanations.
grasping for attention
Examples of grasp for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This sense of grasping for more, reaching out to something just out of range or possibly not even there, is central to the movie.
—
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
As for today, the Mountain West is grasping for both versions of itself—the polished, and the raw; the exclusive, and the open-armed.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
Its fractured, scattered form, grasping for structure instead of pretending to master it, is an attempt to build a future that will include both author and reader.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
Democrats and Republicans accused one another of fostering a culture of violence; partisan commentators grasped for any indication that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the young man eventually arrested and charged with Kirk’s murder, was motivated by the ideology of their personal political enemies.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
As for today, the Mountain West is grasping for both versions of itself—the polished, and the raw; the exclusive, and the open-armed.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
Its fractured, scattered form, grasping for structure instead of pretending to master it, is an attempt to build a future that will include both author and reader.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
Democrats and Republicans accused one another of fostering a culture of violence; partisan commentators grasped for any indication that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the young man eventually arrested and charged with Kirk’s murder, was motivated by the ideology of their personal political enemies.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grasp for
Cite this Entry
“Grasp for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grasp%20for. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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