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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of grapple
Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Four days of grapples, reversals and takedowns are on deck at Grand Casino Arena.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
The two colleagues and close friends shed tears during an emotional conversation about how Guthrie has managed to soldier on and do her hosting job every day while grappling with her 84-year-old mother's disappearance in February.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
Ritchson's 81 grapples with a severe case of survivor's guilt after watching his brother die in Afghanistan.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Four days of grapples, reversals and takedowns are on deck at Grand Casino Arena.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
Months after an immigration crackdown in suburban Minneapolis, young children are grappling with trauma.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
The two colleagues and close friends shed tears during an emotional conversation about how Guthrie has managed to soldier on and do her hosting job every day while grappling with her 84-year-old mother's disappearance in February.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
-
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries, in the grip of a political and humanitarian crisis.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Eldest daughter Abby is recently divorced, and coming to grips with being a single mother, while Paige is an ambitious NYC publicist thrown completely out of her element in Wyoming.—
Cat Cardenas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
However the failure to reach an agreement on the 100-billion Euro ($116 billion) project, which also includes Spain, underscores the struggles Europe has faced in rebuilding its military capacity after decades of underinvestment.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Dearica Hamby had 22 points with 12 rebounds, a solid response for the veteran forward following her struggles in recent games.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Officers Coggins and Pacholsky wrestled with the man as Jeffery tried to secure the gun.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
Like India, Indonesia has been wrestling with a falling currency, and on May 20, the country's central bank raised its policy interest rates by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points.—
Sri Jegarajah,Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
There’s plenty to see and do on this one street—stop by Colonial Park Cemetery, established in 1750; the Juliet Gordon Low Birthplace Museum, honoring the founder of the Girl Scouts; then grab a bite at Marbled & Fin, where luxe appetizers and aged steaks reign supreme.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
-
After Corbin made his introduction to the Islanders as a whole back at the fire pit, Melanie was the first to grab him for a chat.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Not every company burning cash has profitability in grasp.—
Rory McDonald,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
And now, for the Spurs, neither is their grasp of the NBA title.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Losing that battle could cost him more than $100 million, according to the Times.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
It is embedded within the city’s historic Jackson Park, a decision that was met with legal battles as an environmental group sued the City of Chicago for allowing a private project to be built on public land.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Running back Jonathon Brooks, who is returning from back-to-back ACL surgeries on his right knee, caught a pass across the middle from Young and blazed down the field through traffic.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
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All day, the spokespeople for the city and the arena sniped at each other in statements about the security around MSG and the fate of a watch party caught in the snares.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Operating companies historically produce returns of 100% to 200% over a long hold, not the 10x math venture funds often promise.—
Jasmine Wu,Deirdre Bosa,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
-
By Wednesday, the heat begins to creep back into the area, and another heatwave takes hold Thursday through the weekend with highs in the low to mid-90s.—
Andrew Kozak,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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