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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grapple
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2025
Combat is great, even if the grapple didn’t hook me.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Micah Walker, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Global commerce has been under strain this year as companies grapple with a flurry of on-again, off-again trade policies; the new port fees will likely make shipping rates more volatile, analysts said.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
Another grapples with learning about her partner’s drinking and partying lifestyle, which is a stark contrast to her own.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2025
Combat is great, even if the grapple didn’t hook me.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Arts and culture organizations are grappling with funding cuts at the state and federal levels and Markowicz said like other nonprofits, Midtown Detroit is experiencing a tightening in its funding.
—Micah Walker, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Global commerce has been under strain this year as companies grapple with a flurry of on-again, off-again trade policies; the new port fees will likely make shipping rates more volatile, analysts said.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
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With a good-looking frame and lower-body athleticism, Smith does an outstanding job keeping his feet beneath him to square up defenders, extend his arms and use his grip strength to control his man.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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While these relatives possessed human-like hand proportions, their grip strength more likely resembled one of today’s great apes.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While the Blues’ defensive struggles certainly can be pinned on one player, rookie Logan Mailloux is fighting it.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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In recent years, the Brit had been open about his struggles with alcohol, drugs and depression.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Superprod is here at MIPCOM in Cannes this week, as the animation market continues to wrestle with financing and developing new IP.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
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After The Iron Claw came out in December 2023, Dylan posted a video of Olivia and Henry play-wrestling him, seemingly inspired by their older brother’s character.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In grabbing McNeeley in the same class as Knueppel, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte wanted to infuse its roster with youthful players boasting an old school mentality.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
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If her vibe is all about being cute yet comfy, grab the matching shorts for extra brownie points.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Glamour,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Utah, Nolen says that public health officials have a good grasp on where measles is spreading thanks to wastewater monitoring that can capture virus levels beyond official case counts, and where the risk is elevated due to low vaccination rates.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
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Cooper’s grasp of the material is unerring, imbuing it with a sweetness that’s never cloying, a generosity of spirit that’s never unearned.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Keeping track of what both Pokémon are doing, each of their health bars, the animations for each attack and the battle log (which shows whether or not attacks have landed) takes a long time to get used to.—
Ryan Gaur,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
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With tensions rising, the film transforms into an unsettling black comedy as the colleagues descend into a battle of wills and wits.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On Monday, of course, the problem wasn’t Durbin getting caught stealing.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
-
One that frequently catches my attention is meaning, or purpose.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Federline suggests in the book that the children had reason to be afraid of staying with Spears, who was placed under a conservatorship after the psychiatric hold.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The suspect was released after a 24-hour investigative hold expired, according to the sheriff's office.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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