GRAPPLED Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

grappled

verb

past tense of grapple

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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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of grappled In their grief, Schreiber’s family has turned to the questions Jake grappled with his whole life. — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Federal and state policymakers have grappled with these questions for over a decade, particularly following the rise of gig work and the economic disruptions of the pandemic. — Maria Flynn, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 The country has also grappled with several impactful drug shortages in recent years. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 23 July 2026 Like Locke, Heartstopper — in which her character grappled with body dysphoria and its impacts on her relationship with Tao Xu (William Gao) — was Finney’s first screen role ever. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026 Delivery had been delayed as the city grappled with the tragedy, a small but unforgettable reminder that Atlanta’s celebration had changed overnight. — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026 Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands, saw its stock sink nearly 7% over the past five days as the company grappled with the health scare. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 17 July 2026 Congress has grappled with turning back the clocks many times. — Yonat Shimron, NPR, 16 July 2026 From the Constitutional Convention onward, Americans have grappled with what to do about political parties. — Andy Craig, Washington Post, 15 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled

Verb

For decades, physicists wrestled with a fundamental mystery of the universe.

— Lisa Song, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
But its founding family’s artistic, globe-trotting descendants have mostly stayed out of the business—and some have visibly wrestled with what that oil money has meant.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 24 July 2026

Definition of wrestled

Verb

His teacher grabbed him and ran him bleeding down the halls, in circles, screaming through the school until help caught up.

— Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
Bryan Kohberger’s innocence claim and the smoky skies of Boise grabbed the attention the past two days.

— Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

The breaches signal that AI’s expanding capabilities are already fueling the security threat experts long feared and even top developers can be caught off-guard by flaws their models can exploit.

— Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Samuel with Washington in 2025 caught 72 passes for 727 yards and scored six total touchdowns, and never signed an extension after his contract ran out.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of caught

Verb

His critics seized on the decision as an example of financial mismanagement, although the building was used as collateral under former party chairs as well.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
For years, where others have seen voids with Heat rosters, Spoelstra has seen opportunities seized by the likes of Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and others who have contributed to Heat runs to the NBA Finals.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of seized

Verb

Up in Chicago, rival United — which has been duking it out with American at O’Hare International Airport — snatched up delivery slots for more than 100 Boeing Dreamliners in the last four years.

— Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 19 July 2026
Malonga scored 28 points and snatched a game-high 14 rebounds.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of snatched

Verb

Penta hit a Mexican Destroyer on Chad Gable and the two landed awkwardly.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
As the sport continues to process Skubal joining the Dodgers in a late Saturday trade, reactions from rival executives have landed somewhere between resignation and frustration.

— Andy McCullough, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of landed

Verb

Mbaye, Yassine and Toure are three of five players at the World Cup who had full profiles on the platform, having been captured on film since the age of 14 in their home countries.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
After the Mac has been cleaned, change its login password because CrashStealer may have captured and validated that credential.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of captured

Browse Nearby Words

grapple

grappled

grappled (with)

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“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of grappled

verb

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