Synonyms of grappled

grappled

verb

past tense of grapple

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

• wrestled
• fought
• tussled
• scuffled
• battled
• brawled
• contended
• combated
• rassled
• punched
• struck
• buffeted
• dueled
• hit
• sparred
• battered
• slugged
• skirmished
• clashed (with)
• bashed
• warred (against)
• boxed
• beat

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

• grabbed
• caught
• seized
• snatched
• landed
• captured
• trapped
• got
• snared
• rapped
• snagged
• nailed
• corralled
• hooked
• netted
• copped
• nabbed
• grasped
• snapped (up)
• bagged
• clutched
• collared
• took hold (of)
• held
• nobbled
• glommed
• gripped
• arrested
• roped
• apprehended
• clasped
• gloved
• secured
• cornered
• detained
• lassoed
• enmeshed
• ensnared
• entangled
• fisted
• wrested
• fastened (on)
• kidnapped
• meshed
• latched (on or onto)
• entrapped
• haltered
• abducted
• bayed
• rent
• spirited (away or off)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• missed
• released
• discharged
• freed
• liberated
• dropped
• loosened
• unhanded

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of grappled

At one point, after Gabriel won a header by levering himself up on Haaland’s shoulders, the two grappled on the turf as the game continued around them. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Eight people were shot and wounded, four of them children, by a gunman in a ski mask at a Coney Island family barbecue as the city grappled with a wave of overnight Fourth of July gun violence, police said Sunday. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

Mayor Vi Lyles announced her surprise resignation in May as the city grappled with generation-defining decisions. — Nick Sullivan july 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026

Other Western states, including Utah and Montana, have grappled with these same questions to different ends. — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 July 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. — Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation, 30 June 2026

South Africa already hiked its interest rate by 25 -basis points last month, as policymakers grappled with the global energy shock. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 29 June 2026

Sometimes exacerbated by empty downtowns, both European and North American cities have grappled with a rise in homelessness, crime and littering. — Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Throughout the season, the cheerleaders grappled with their newfound fame while adhering to a strict set of rules that have been in place since the 1970s. — Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026