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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Recent Examples of grappled
The Post also won the feature photography prize for a visual essay on a family welcoming a firstborn as the child’s father grappled with terminal cancer.
—
Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The Post won the feature photography prize, for a visual essay on a family welcoming a firstborn as the child’s father grappled with terminal cancer.
—Jennifer Peltz, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
Meanwhile, ordinary Russians have grappled with high inflation caused by military mobilizations and defense production as well as the Kremlin’s crackdown on internet access to restrict the flow of grim news on the economy and war.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 May 2026
Her adolescence coincided with a period of severe economic and political crisis in Peru, as the government grappled with hyperinflation, institutional instability, and an internal conflict with insurgent groups such as the Shining Path, alongside controversial counterinsurgency measures.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
In April, an influential hurricane forecast brought a mixed bag of news, as forecasters grappled with unruly climate patterns.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Districts in Tarrant County have grappled with an ongoing literacy crisis for years, including in the Fort Worth Independent School District where 41% of third-graders are reading on grade level in Tarrant’s largest school district.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Chatrie and the Supreme Court For decades, the court has grappled with law enforcement’s use of technologies to track the location of people or things, issuing decisions about cell site location information and GPS.
—Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
But the event also grappled with the intersection of personal growth and activism, explored in panels like Political Action and the Inner Search.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The Post won the feature photography prize, for a visual essay on a family welcoming a firstborn as the child’s father grappled with terminal cancer.
—Jennifer Peltz, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
Meanwhile, ordinary Russians have grappled with high inflation caused by military mobilizations and defense production as well as the Kremlin’s crackdown on internet access to restrict the flow of grim news on the economy and war.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 May 2026
Her adolescence coincided with a period of severe economic and political crisis in Peru, as the government grappled with hyperinflation, institutional instability, and an internal conflict with insurgent groups such as the Shining Path, alongside controversial counterinsurgency measures.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
In April, an influential hurricane forecast brought a mixed bag of news, as forecasters grappled with unruly climate patterns.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Districts in Tarrant County have grappled with an ongoing literacy crisis for years, including in the Fort Worth Independent School District where 41% of third-graders are reading on grade level in Tarrant’s largest school district.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Chatrie and the Supreme Court For decades, the court has grappled with law enforcement’s use of technologies to track the location of people or things, issuing decisions about cell site location information and GPS.
—Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
But the event also grappled with the intersection of personal growth and activism, explored in panels like Political Action and the Inner Search.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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Ivelisse Garcia Santana said her grandson Jeury Concepcion needed several stitches after ICE agents wrestled him to the ground.—
Adi Guajardo,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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Paxley wrestled other talented superstars, including Asuka, Ash By Elegance, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, Gigi Dolin, Thea Hail, Fallon Henley, Michin, Liv Morgan, Ivy Nile, Jaida Parker, Roxanne Perez, Raquel Rodriguez, Sol Ruca, Kairi Sane, Lyra Valkyria, and Zaria.—
James Varsallone,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Sabres winger Zach Benson took advantage of Lane Hutson stumbling at the defensive blue line, and grabbed a loose puck before setting up Josh Doan for the opening goal less than five minutes into the game.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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When he was found, deputies said Ortiz became belligerent, yelled at employees, threatened to harm them with a gun, and grabbed one of the resort employees.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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And Bona, a second-year reserve, got caught too many times reaching in the cookie jar while defending Towns.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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Before that drama began, however, five of the first six outs of the game were grounders to Deegan, which caught the eye of Dundee-Crown coach Andrew Zimmer.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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He was also ordered to pay nearly $111 million in restitution and forfeit roughly $17 million that the government seized from bank accounts.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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So far this year, 12 guns have been seized by Annapolis Police, according to department data.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Another lesson to be learned from Iran is that wars at this level, involving a great power and a lower-tier one, can’t always be tidy operations that end when a president is snatched by special forces in the middle of the night.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
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Police said the teens broke a glass window, and the suspect snatched $300 from the kiosk’s operator.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The passengers left on a chartered flight from Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, on Sunday and landed at Torrejón de Ardoz military airport, east of Madrid, according to Spain’s Defense Ministry.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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That game, a 34-31 Wildcats win in the first year of the Shedeur Sanders era, was the first impression Coleman left on the state of Colorado before the Broncos landed on him two years later.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
Verb
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How Disney's facial recognition works at park entrances At the gate, a photo of your face is captured and converted into unique numerical values.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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In real life, the pair’s crime spree at the height of the Depression-era captured the focus of the nation before they were shot and killed.—
Staff report,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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