grope

verb

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\ ˈgrōp

groped; groping

Definition of grope

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to feel about blindly or uncertainly in search grope for the light switch

2 : to look for something blindly or uncertainly grope for the right words

3 : to feel one's way groped along the dark passage

transitive verb

1 : feel up claims that her boss tried to grope her

2 : to find (one's way) by groping

grope

noun

plural gropes

Definition of grope (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of groping made a grope for the light switch And what are these clumsy, embarrassing, fumbling encounters if they are not passes, beery gropes in the dark?— Nick Hornby

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Synonyms for grope

Synonyms: Verb

Examples of grope in a Sentence

Verb I groped for the light switch. She groped around in her purse, looking for her comb. We groped along the dark passage. She claims that her boss tried to grope her.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The women say Lane made hugging and kissing him a condition of their employment, using that as a chance to grope them and finding other ways to touch them on the breasts or buttocks. — Jeff Amy, ajc, "Women sue Georgia police chief alleging sexual misconduct," 3 Feb. 2021 Don’t wantonly reach out and grope any dog that wanders by. — James Hamblin, The Atlantic, "Paging Dr. Hamblin: A Kid Tried to Pet My Dog and I Said No," 26 Aug. 2020 Navarro-Cardenas, who also appears on ABC's The View, hasn't been shy about her vehement dislike of Trump, particularly after the 2016 release of an Access Hollywood tape in which the president can be heard bragging about being able to grope women. — Washington Examiner, "CNN's Ana Navarro to host Biden campaign event in Florida," 5 Aug. 2020 And, as Harvey argues, Humboldt’s U.S. visit helped this country grope its way toward new cultural symbols. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, "What do Thomas Jefferson, a mastodon skeleton and Alexander von Humboldt have in common? The answer is locked inside the Smithsonian.," 1 July 2020 Prosecutors in September 2018 accused the Rev. Charles Hanel of groping a then-13-year-old girl inside a confessional in December 2017 at Queen of Apostles Church, N35 W23360 Capitol Drive, Pewaukee. — Steven Martinez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Judge dismisses the charge accusing a Pewaukee priest of sexually assaulting a teenager in a confessional," 10 June 2020 While Weinstein’s trial got rolling, another judge in the same courthouse set an April 21 for Cuba Gooding Jr.’s trial on charges of groping three women without their consent at New York City bars. — Michael R. Sisak, ajc, "Harvey Weinstein trial opens, marking milestone for #MeToo," 22 Jan. 2020 Motivational speaker Tony Robbins railed against the #MeToo movement last year and has already been accused of groping women. — Fortune, "Mayor Femke Halsema’s Amsterdam Gets a Brexit Boost," 25 Nov. 2019 Hill is accused of groping four women — three Democrats and one Republican — at a gathering of legislative staffers at AJ's Lounge on March 14-15, 2018. — Crystal Hill, Indianapolis Star, "'I'll never back down': Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is seeking a second term," 14 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.