1
as in wrestled
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
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2
as in grabbed
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 grappled
However, the open-source robotics community has grappled with trade-offs.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Planning commission concerned about loss of non-residential space At the hearing, members of Meridian’s Planning and Zoning Commission grappled with DRB Investment’s request to rezone three acres of land from commercial to residential uses.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2025
Some anchors grappled with addressing yet another mass shooting, as well as the 44th school shooting this year, per CNN.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
Hazell grappled with revisiting this.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Bali, Indonesia’s most popular tourist island, has grappled with the issue of bad tourist behavior for years, too.
—Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Iowa State University also grappled with false reports on Monday.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
Transnet has in recent years grappled with a shortage of freight trains and inefficient ports that have cut income from exports, particularly mining.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
As California has grappled with the ghost student swarms, officials have debated instituting a nominal fee to add friction to the system of applying.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Planning commission concerned about loss of non-residential space At the hearing, members of Meridian’s Planning and Zoning Commission grappled with DRB Investment’s request to rezone three acres of land from commercial to residential uses.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2025
Some anchors grappled with addressing yet another mass shooting, as well as the 44th school shooting this year, per CNN.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
Hazell grappled with revisiting this.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Bali, Indonesia’s most popular tourist island, has grappled with the issue of bad tourist behavior for years, too.
—Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Iowa State University also grappled with false reports on Monday.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
Transnet has in recent years grappled with a shortage of freight trains and inefficient ports that have cut income from exports, particularly mining.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
As California has grappled with the ghost student swarms, officials have debated instituting a nominal fee to add friction to the system of applying.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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Witnesses and lawmakers wrestled with NASA’s budget priorities, highlighting concern that the administration’s 2026 budget request tilts heavily toward exploration while slashing science programs.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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The video, which is less than two minutes long, shows the teen being pushed and held up against farm equipment before being wrestled down to the ground by another young male.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Twenty-four hours later, Ohtani entered the visiting clubhouse in Baltimore and grabbed his glove.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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During the argument, Martin grabbed a hammer from Lawson that Lawson had been using to repair a patio door and raised it above his head in a striking motion, Lawson said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If caught in one, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) caught one of these protoplanetary disks and its young star in a edge-on view.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition, several firearms and drugs were seized from other residences, according to police.—
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
6 Sep. 2025
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Local, national and global media outlets this week seized on the opportunity to report Zuckerberg's lawsuit against Meta.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In June, Variety reported that NBCU’s Super Bowl inventory was approaching a sell-out, and Super Bowl ad inventory seems to get snatched up faster every year as advertisers scramble to lock in pricey ad inventory that’s largely seen as one of the few remaining ways in media to reach huge audiences.—
Kelsey Sutton,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
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As the boy reached out to take the cap, Szczerek standing next to him snatched it away and gave it to a woman who put it in her handbag despite the boy’s visible protestations.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As expected, Wilson landed the top spot at QB.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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The pilot landed at Hulu for development in summer 2024 as the first project under a first-look deal Kardashian signed with 20th Television.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The permit applications showed oil companies requested to flare or vent more than 195 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year, enough to power more than 3 million homes and generate millions of dollars of tax revenue had the gas been captured.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
4 Sep. 2025
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The 36-year-old first captured the 115-pound belt in August 2019 in her fourth fight with the UFC.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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