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
Café Lisbeth hosts exhibitions on themes of transience and how humans have grappled with life’s passages throughout history.
—
Diana Hubbell, Saveur, 16 Oct. 2025
The project is a labor of love for Meyer, who grappled with his own travails acclimating back to civilian life after two deployments to Iraq.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
According to Hulu, the series will also give viewers a dramatized look into how family members grappled with the legal troubles of the Murdaughs, as well as news of the murders.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
But Memphis has historically grappled with high crime levels, including in 2023 when the city recorded over 340 homicides, according to the Memphis Police Department.
—NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
In the third quarter, signs of business recovery were particularly evident in the key North American market, which had grappled with factors including excess inventories and model transitions that weighed on volumes and market shares in previous quarters.
—Reuters, Freep.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Artists and prop masters have grappled with these complexities for ages.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
After all, this is a Nashville agency that’s grappled with plenty of turbulence directly related to its grant-making process, so much so that the city determined the commission must be granted approval for its award criteria by the Metro Nashville Council.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
Americans have this year grappled with elevated inflation, as well as a deterioration of the job market and a broader weakening of the nation’s economic outlook.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Diana Hubbell, Saveur, 16 Oct. 2025
The project is a labor of love for Meyer, who grappled with his own travails acclimating back to civilian life after two deployments to Iraq.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
According to Hulu, the series will also give viewers a dramatized look into how family members grappled with the legal troubles of the Murdaughs, as well as news of the murders.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
But Memphis has historically grappled with high crime levels, including in 2023 when the city recorded over 340 homicides, according to the Memphis Police Department.
—NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
In the third quarter, signs of business recovery were particularly evident in the key North American market, which had grappled with factors including excess inventories and model transitions that weighed on volumes and market shares in previous quarters.
—Reuters, Freep.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Artists and prop masters have grappled with these complexities for ages.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
After all, this is a Nashville agency that’s grappled with plenty of turbulence directly related to its grant-making process, so much so that the city determined the commission must be granted approval for its award criteria by the Metro Nashville Council.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
Americans have this year grappled with elevated inflation, as well as a deterioration of the job market and a broader weakening of the nation’s economic outlook.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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Generations of Americans have wrestled with the meaning and reality of the American Revolution, our national origin story.—
Sarah Botstein,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
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The justices also wrestled with the role of science in the debate, with several conservatives questioning whether there was, in fact, sufficient evidence that talk therapy aimed at helping a child change his or her identity was harmful.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Two of them were on the doors of a reach-in cooler on the expo line and were grabbed by the manager.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
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MacDonald grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened to kill himself, cutting at his throat, prosecutors said.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trubisky to former Saint Jimmy Graham, who caught the football and immediately ran up the tunnel into his offseason.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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These fins, 50 percent larger and stronger, will play a vital role in steering, slowing, and eventually allowing the rocket to be caught mid-air by the launch tower’s arms for rapid reusability.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Stout seized the slot corner role quickly after being a fourth-round draft pick, with Lenoir moving exclusively to the outside with Renado Green as the other starting corner.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
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Margalit’s body was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and taken into Gaza.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mischief in the mind of Cole Martin, the defensive back, moonlighted as a magician and snatched the direct snap before darting through a crease and churning ahead for a trick of a first down.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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Before it all got snatched away.—
Allen Iverson,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Andy Richter and Emma Slater landed a 28 out of 40 for their Rumba, dedicated to his daughter.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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Keeping track of what both Pokémon are doing, each of their health bars, the animations for each attack and the battle log (which shows whether or not attacks have landed) takes a long time to get used to.—
Ryan Gaur,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa began airing ads last week that captured the heated exchange between Porter and CBS Sacramento reporter Julie Watts.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Oct. 2025
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But this September 1995 set, captured live shortly after the release of D’Angelo’s debut, finds him in full flight as a 21-year-old, with his paramour at the time, the late Angie Stone, delivering stellar backing vocals.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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