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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grapple
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2025
In the newest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution, a grieving JJ (A.J. Cook) grapples with the funeral of her longtime husband Will (Josh Stewart), a staple since season 2 of the original CBS drama.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 22 May 2025
Rob Wile, NBC news, 3 July 2025
The bill’s current revisions are a relief to a sector already grappling with funding challenges, competition from China and tariff uncertainty.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
Besides falling numbers of volunteers, the Dunnigan Fire Protection District grapples with high turnover.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2025
In the newest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution, a grieving JJ (A.J. Cook) grapples with the funeral of her longtime husband Will (Josh Stewart), a staple since season 2 of the original CBS drama.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
Consumers and businesses are still grappling with the uncertainty caused by Trump’s tariff policies, which are contributing to volatile economic data.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 3 July 2025
The bill’s current revisions are a relief to a sector already grappling with funding challenges, competition from China and tariff uncertainty.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
-
At the end of the day, get a grip people, F1 stands to open globally to $115M+.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
-
Hard tires last longer—saving pit stops—but have less grip, and result in slower lap times.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Even the quiet, eyebrow-raising final moments, which suggest that the struggle for economic justice and equality might be utterly pointless, feel less like a philosophy and more like a real-life capitalist desire for more, more, more.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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The struggle was so real that Reynolds unveiled a special musical production for McElhenney's birthday devoted to teaching fans the pronunciation of his costar's last name, enlisting the help of some of his famous friends as well as members of the club's hometown.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
The city, county and state all recently wrestled with deficits and the federal government has been both slashing its workforce and attempting to reduce the size of health care programs like Medicaid.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 July 2025
-
In a recent interview, the WWE Hall of Famer opened up about his motivations for continuing to wrestle and his thoughts on retirement.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Now, folks heading to Shenandoah National Park or beyond can grab some gas, hit the jerky wall, nab a Dr Pepper Icee, load up on fudge, use the famously clean bathrooms, and stock up on Buc-ee’s merch before heading back out on the road.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
30 June 2025
-
My father seemed to crumple a little, shuddering, grabbing the edge of his desk to steady himself.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Two years after Nvidia Corp. made history by becoming the first chipmaker to achieve a $1 trillion market capitalization, an even more remarkable milestone is within its grasp: becoming the first company to reach $4 trillion.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
-
This process empowers clients to create financial plans with a complete grasp of the concept.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The battle will continue as Trump has blasted the mainstream media for years and signed an executive order to cut federal funding for National Public Radio and PBS, said U.S. Rep. John B. Larson of East Hartford.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
-
His 2014 film The Grave tells the story of a man who hears about the discovery of a mass grave and escapes from a nursing home to confront his past on the site of the Battle of the Ebro, the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
That unique twist is exactly what caught the attention of Quinn Cosgrove, bass player for local Kansas band The Whips.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
28 June 2025
-
With the unlikelihood of Saudi Arabia catching any strays, WWE talent arrived in Riyadh this week with no incident.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Last month, the Fed kept interest rates on hold again after kicking of a reduction cycle in September, despite a growing number of Fed officials arguing for rate cuts.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Summer will therefore be busy for the brand, as plans for e-commerce that previously were on hold due to the costs involved can now move forward as early as September, the cofounders said.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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