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

After leaving farewell notes to her friends and family, Converse, who grappled with depression, vanished without a trace in 1974. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026

In her view, English has too thin a vocabulary for this thing humans have grappled with across time and cultures, a desire that may predate any language or creed. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

The Supreme Court grappled on Tuesday with a case involving poor working and living conditions for migrant workers at a New Jersey farm and how the federal government can collect damages for violations of the migrant worker program. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 10 Nov. 2026

In the decades that followed, as the original economists interpreted and reinterpreted Smith, wrestling with the relationships between renters and their landlords, the free market and the state, Maria grappled right along with them. — Jeanna Smialek, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026

Health insurers have grappled with elevated medical costs in recent years as consumers increased their ​use of healthcare services, prompting companies to raise premiums, trim benefits and exit less profitable plans. — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2026

The key legal questions being grappled with by courts throughout the US are whether event contracts offered by prediction markets qualify as swaps, and whether the CFTC jurisdiction over swaps preempts states from applying their gambling laws. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026

Investors were anticipating Moody’s rating decision as France, the second-largest economy in the euro zone, grappled with protests and a sharp surge in bond yields. — Darla Mercado, Cfp®,jeff Cox, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

The White House has grappled with how to address the cost of living ahead of the midterms, which are less than two weeks away. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026