grasp at
phrasal verb
grasped at; grasping at; grasps at
: to try to take or get (something) in an eager or desperate way
They were ready to grasp at any possible solution.
He grasped at the opportunity to speak with her.
Examples of grasp at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After stuffing the shot, which caromed to the Razorbacks' Nick Pringle, James fell to the floor writhing in pain and grasping at his back.
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Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The art historian was grasping at straws.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Rummler appears to be choking, grasping at the jacket around his neck as blood pours from his left eye.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The Weeknd grasps at casual indifference, at the tranquility of the Stoics, the impassivity of the unmoved man.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
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Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The art historian was grasping at straws.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Rummler appears to be choking, grasping at the jacket around his neck as blood pours from his left eye.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The Weeknd grasps at casual indifference, at the tranquility of the Stoics, the impassivity of the unmoved man.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grasp at
Cite this Entry
“Grasp at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grasp%20at. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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