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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grappled
The orbiting outpost's Canadarm2 grappled Cygnus XL that day, berthing it to the Unity module.
—
Mike Wall, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Meaning, the Supreme Court has not directly grappled with what constitutional protections Americans have when the government uses AI.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
New York — Stocks fell and oil prices traded above $100 per barrel Monday as investors grappled with a potential energy crisis caused by the war with Iran.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Players from both sides grappled with each other.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Builders FirstSource emerged as one of the most oversold stocks this week as traders grappled with war in Iran and a sharp surge in oil prices.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2026
Atlanta also has previously grappled with the issue.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Bitcoin dipped below $68,000 as investors digested the release of US economic data and grappled with developments in the Middle East.
—Emily Nicolle, Bloomberg, 6 Mar. 2026
Over the course of writing the series, one question the creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay grappled with was who to cast when Harper’s mom eventually made an appearance.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
Mike Wall, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Meaning, the Supreme Court has not directly grappled with what constitutional protections Americans have when the government uses AI.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
New York — Stocks fell and oil prices traded above $100 per barrel Monday as investors grappled with a potential energy crisis caused by the war with Iran.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Players from both sides grappled with each other.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Builders FirstSource emerged as one of the most oversold stocks this week as traders grappled with war in Iran and a sharp surge in oil prices.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2026
Atlanta also has previously grappled with the issue.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Bitcoin dipped below $68,000 as investors digested the release of US economic data and grappled with developments in the Middle East.
—Emily Nicolle, Bloomberg, 6 Mar. 2026
Over the course of writing the series, one question the creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay grappled with was who to cast when Harper’s mom eventually made an appearance.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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His villains were flamboyant, but Bruce was mournful, reluctant — no onscreen superhero has more palpably wrestled with not wanting to be a superhero.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
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The man who threw the device had another one on him as cops jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After scoring over Denver center Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter, James fell to the court and immediately grabbed his left elbow.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Based on court records, witness testimony and interviews with law enforcement, it’s believed that Sarah Wondra, along with one of the roommates, grabbed Michael and brought him back to the Wondras’ house.—
Alex Brizee
March 5,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In 93 career games, Lazard has caught 239 passes for 3,147 yards and 28 touchdowns.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Agents also seized about $80,000 in cash, six firearms and additional quantities of narcotics during arrests carried out Thursday morning.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Government agencies commonly seized land from Black and Latino property owners to expand cities and build infrastructure.—
Ara Rosenthal,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has been warning of the Cuban government’s downfall since his administration struck Venezuela and snatched Maduro in a secret raid on his compound.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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The former is now in shackles in a New York detention facility after being snatched from Caracas by US special forces in an extraordinary overnight raid.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The device landed in the crosswalk, struck a barrier, and was extinguished a few feet from the police.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Astronomers captured the most detailed image yet of our galaxy’s center.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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The observation team, led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, captured two additional measurements that proved key to improving the orbit estimate.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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