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
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Recent Examples of grappled
Now, Archuleta has a newfound sense of liberation, having grappled with the heaviness of unraveling his foundation of faith.
—
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
During the Biden administration, the southern border saw record numbers of migrant apprehensions by Border Patrol, as officials grappled with a humanitarian, political and operational crisis.
—Jennifer Earl, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
In the years since, Connecticut lawmakers have grappled with where, exactly, to draw the line when sentencing youth convicted of crimes like murder, rape, kidnapping or major drug-trafficking.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
The sport also offers a solution to equity questions that college athletics have long grappled with.
—Maura Carey, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
In recent weeks, Doncic has grappled with ankle and groin ailments as well; the wear-and-tear of the season emerging just before the All-Star break.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
For Minnesota, which grappled with an affordable child care shortage long before ICE entered the picture, child care has been at the center of the state’s fraud debate and a recent target of heightened immigration enforcement.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
New York — US stocks dropped Thursday, continuing a recent patch of volatility, as Wall Street grappled with persistent nerves about artificial intelligence and economic data showed the labor market weakened over the past two months.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Phillips rose to prominence in the ‘90s for glossy, photorealistic paintings like Below that grappled with sexuality, beauty and the grotesque.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
During the Biden administration, the southern border saw record numbers of migrant apprehensions by Border Patrol, as officials grappled with a humanitarian, political and operational crisis.
—Jennifer Earl, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
In the years since, Connecticut lawmakers have grappled with where, exactly, to draw the line when sentencing youth convicted of crimes like murder, rape, kidnapping or major drug-trafficking.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
The sport also offers a solution to equity questions that college athletics have long grappled with.
—Maura Carey, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
In recent weeks, Doncic has grappled with ankle and groin ailments as well; the wear-and-tear of the season emerging just before the All-Star break.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
For Minnesota, which grappled with an affordable child care shortage long before ICE entered the picture, child care has been at the center of the state’s fraud debate and a recent target of heightened immigration enforcement.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
New York — US stocks dropped Thursday, continuing a recent patch of volatility, as Wall Street grappled with persistent nerves about artificial intelligence and economic data showed the labor market weakened over the past two months.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Phillips rose to prominence in the ‘90s for glossy, photorealistic paintings like Below that grappled with sexuality, beauty and the grotesque.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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Freedom wrestled without two starters but still managed to score its first FHSAA duals wrestling state quarterfinal victory against Wellington on Friday.—
Steve Gorches,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Ottman wrestled elsewhere after his last WWF stint in 1994.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Moroney, who sang covers, grabbed her guitar and riled up the crowd.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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The woman, who is listed as a current or former girlfriend of Fleming’s, first petitioned for a court order against him in January 2025, alleging that Fleming had grabbed her by her scarf and used it to choke her, and threatened her for spreading rumors about him.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The good boy's sprint was caught by the photo finish camera.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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The body camera footage has caught social media's attention since being released, with clips from the video circulating on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, garnering thousands of views.—
Ryan Hansen,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Authorities have seized more than €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
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While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then Lewis snatched the inbound pass to get possession and UConn fouled up three.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
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Another pro-billionaire demonstrator eventually snatched the sign back.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Active across three decades, Hounsou’s other acting credits include In America (2002) and Blood Diamond (2006), both of which landed him Oscar noms.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2026
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First, SpaceX's Falcon 9 1st stage landed at Landing Pad 40 in a smooth touchdown at the company's newest landing pad.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The post included a photo of a teen carrying a realistic-looking toy pistol, which was captured by a doorbell camera in 2024, said Ziggy Azarcon, public information officer with the Irvine Police Department.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Satellite imagery of the Imam Ali Missile Base in Khorramabad, captured on January 5, shows that of the dozen structures destroyed by Israel, three have been rebuilt, one has been repaired while three others are currently under construction.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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