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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Harris appeared to be grasping at his leg. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025 Nosrat grasped at the invitation like a lifeline. Dan Kois, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025 Her left hand is scrabbling over the surface of the thin soil, grasping at dead leaves, something to wipe herself. Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025 And wrap it in a gorgeous (if somewhat twisted) album cover depicting a completely adorable baby underwater, grasping at a dollar bill on a fishhook? Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grasp at

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grasp at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grasp%20at. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!