1
as in grip
the act or manner of holding
was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
after a grapple with his conscience, he confessed to having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
two sumo wrestlers grappling like a pair of mammoth bears
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
a crane grappled the sunken boat and hoisted it above water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grapple
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
As the entertainment industry in general and Hollywood in particular grapples with the heartbreaking deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner over the weekend, tributes to the beloved couple continue to pour in far and wide.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Islandwide blackouts have roiled Cubans who have grappled with years of crisis, and a lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospitals and slashed public transport.
—Andrea Rodríguez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
The actor quickly wrapped his legs around Fallon’s sides and pulled his body and arms into a grapple.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
As the entertainment industry in general and Hollywood in particular grapples with the heartbreaking deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner over the weekend, tributes to the beloved couple continue to pour in far and wide.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospitals and slashed public transport.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Islandwide blackouts have roiled Cubans who have grappled with years of crisis, and a lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospitals and slashed public transport.
—Andrea Rodríguez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
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Interestingly, the wristband could accurately predict a wide array of hand positions, from 26 letters of complex American Sign Language signs to the subtle grips required for holding scissors, a tennis ball, or a pencil.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
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Yet the air campaign, costing billions of dollars, has not forced Iran to capitulate and loosen its grip on the strait.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Just two weeks ago, Gary Woodland decided ot shared his struggles with post traumatic stress disorder, brought on after a September 2023 surgery, which involved a baseball-sized hole cut from the side of his head, to remove a brain lesion.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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And the struggles up front affected what was already troublesome quarterback play after Conner Harrell’s knee injury in Week 4.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Throughout, Iranians have been wrestling with widely mixed feelings over the war, the ruling theocracy and the future.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Like many websites, Wikipedia has wrestled with how to handle the paradigm shift in generative AI for online text content.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Making his fifth start of the season in Queta’s absence, the backup center tallied 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Miami is now 10-2 this season when grabbing more than 15 offensive rebounds.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Basic actions like grasp, place, open, and close are linked to objects or positions, forcing the system to connect decisions with the physical world.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
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Even if Ohtani doesn’t quite reach Cy Young heights, a fourth straight MVP is well within his grasp.—
D.J. Short,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At the time of the initial gun battle, the MacEgans were on an afternoon walk through a nearby field.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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So California may be readying to wage a two-front battle — the familiar one against smog, but a second, altogether new one, against an administration determined to let California get smoggy again.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There is also seating on the outdoor Thomson Plaza where guests can catch the Miami breeze blowing Ultra’s music your way until curtain.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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About 2% of authors were caught, and their papers rejected, Nature reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If the launch team announces a hold, this indicates a natural pause in the countdown, which is intended to allow for tasks to be performed or for a slight delay so that liftoff will align with a specific launch time that doesn’t disrupt the schedule.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
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Now everything is on hold while Woods sorts through his second arrest in the last nine years, and his fourth car crash since 2009.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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