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
His father, who owned a liquor store, grappled with frequent sting operations from officials claiming that minors were purchasing alcohol there.
—
Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Before Mythos Preview's limited release, the cybersecurity community grappled with the growing capabilities of commercially available advanced AI models.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
Outside of its finances, Snap has grappled with other hurdles.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The star guard, who tore her ACL for the first time before her junior year of high school, grappled with injuries throughout her first four seasons with the Huskies, first a foot injury that sidelined her for 11 games in 2021-22, then a knee injury that kept her out of 22 in her sophomore year.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Since taking office in mid-2022, Marcos has grappled with multiple complex problems and political dilemmas.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to allow limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast is a win for the state's salmon fishing industry, which has grappled with years of season closures due to dwindling fish stocks.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The conversion also is part of a broader effort to revitalize downtown San Jose, which has grappled with high office vacancies and a slow post-pandemic recovery.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
The two grappled for control and tried to get quick pins on each other after throwing Jayne out of the ring.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Before Mythos Preview's limited release, the cybersecurity community grappled with the growing capabilities of commercially available advanced AI models.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
Outside of its finances, Snap has grappled with other hurdles.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The star guard, who tore her ACL for the first time before her junior year of high school, grappled with injuries throughout her first four seasons with the Huskies, first a foot injury that sidelined her for 11 games in 2021-22, then a knee injury that kept her out of 22 in her sophomore year.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Since taking office in mid-2022, Marcos has grappled with multiple complex problems and political dilemmas.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to allow limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast is a win for the state's salmon fishing industry, which has grappled with years of season closures due to dwindling fish stocks.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The conversion also is part of a broader effort to revitalize downtown San Jose, which has grappled with high office vacancies and a slow post-pandemic recovery.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
The two grappled for control and tried to get quick pins on each other after throwing Jayne out of the ring.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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Philadelphia showed signs early in the second half, but Brown wrestled back momentum by stealing a Drummond outlet pass and drilling a 3-pointer.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Philadelphia showed signs of a rally early in the second half, but Brown wrestled back momentum by stealing a Drummond outlet pass and drilling a 3-pointer.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The officer grabbed me and said 'you're arrested,' and just put me in handcuffs and drug and dragged me out.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Much of the film feels like Cronin grabbed a bunch of different clothes off a rack at a clothing store only to end up wearing a bizarrely mismatched outfit that never really comes together.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His passion for off-roading and extreme competition now extends to his two sons, who have caught the Currie racing fervor.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Read the story of the angler who caught 19 pounds of largemouth on one cast.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In October, the DEA Los Angeles Field Division found 628,000 pills containing carfentanil, while in September, officials seized more than 50,000 counterfeit M30 pills from a person at a gas station in Washington state that turned out to be a mixture of carfentanil and acetaminophen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The West Metro Drug Task Force has arrested a man and seized a large quantity of drugs following a months-long investigation dating back to November.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Randle failed to hustle back into the play after Denver snatched an offensive rebound on a 45-foot heave with two minutes left.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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Instead of eating the premium patties, the couple stuffed the burgers into a large duffel, adding desserts snatched from the buffet, the blog added.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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No Lakers players, nor coach JJ Redick, landed as finalists for end-of-season individual awards.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Origin, founded and owed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, has landed and reused its smaller New Shepard suborbital booster numerous times, but New Glenn surpasses New Shepard in difficulty and scale.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Surveillance video in the area captured the moment when at least five gunshots can be heard as the incident unfolded.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The world record landed in the middle of a heated high school relay race that had captured the attention of the stadium announcer and most of the fans.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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