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
Relevance
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
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
This particular strain of modernism grappled with the difficulty of capturing in language the nonverbal aspects of subjective experience.
—
Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
The crash happened as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm.
—Patrick Whittle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The crash occurred as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Already, many grocers and other retailers have grappled with massive demand this week as shoppers left some shelves bare for items such as bottled water, bread and meat.
—Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Malawians have in recent years grappled with annual inflation that has hovered at around 30%.
—semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026
At several points in his career, Mosier has grappled with whether to sit out of races in states with anti-trans legislation, sometimes out of concern for his safety and other times out of protest of the policies.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Job growth slowed throughout 2025 as some businesses grappled with economic uncertainty, prompting them to pull back on hiring.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Jennifer Ferguson stood on the front step of her Waldo home on the south side of Kansas City Thursday and grappled with her former neighbor’s sudden place in the national spotlight.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
The crash happened as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm.
—Patrick Whittle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The crash occurred as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Already, many grocers and other retailers have grappled with massive demand this week as shoppers left some shelves bare for items such as bottled water, bread and meat.
—Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Malawians have in recent years grappled with annual inflation that has hovered at around 30%.
—semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026
At several points in his career, Mosier has grappled with whether to sit out of races in states with anti-trans legislation, sometimes out of concern for his safety and other times out of protest of the policies.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Job growth slowed throughout 2025 as some businesses grappled with economic uncertainty, prompting them to pull back on hiring.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Jennifer Ferguson stood on the front step of her Waldo home on the south side of Kansas City Thursday and grappled with her former neighbor’s sudden place in the national spotlight.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
-
His brothers, Marcel and Anthony, wrestled at both Reavis and Oak Lawn.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Frenchman wrestled an awful Alpine to 11 Q3 appearances in 2025 and brought in 100 percent of his team’s points.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Baer grabbed the arms of his chair and began to stand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
It was rapidly removed, but an image of the listing was grabbed ahead of that.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Real Madrid star Arda Guler was caught disagreeing with head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, after being brought off in Wednesday's 4-2 Champions League loss to Benfica.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How populists named what the centre wouldn't Marine Le Pen seized on the contradiction immediately.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
During the search, authorities seized two rifles, two shotguns and one handgun, along with ammunition, prosecutors said.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Then Barnes snatched all three points with the latest winning goal in a Premier League game Opta has on record (since 2006-07).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The dictator who imprisoned and tortured Venezuelan politicians, activists, and ordinary people was snatched from his bed and put on an American plane with his wife, Cilia Flores.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This price for the complex of 149 apartments is perched on the high side of per-unit values of South Bay residential hubs that have landed new owners lately.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Absent a complete screening, Jackson may not have landed on a final decision as to a plea, though the default is to plead not guilty.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Heart rhythms, sleep quality, activity patterns and metabolic trends are captured in real time.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Benedict doesn’t realize that the woman who has entirely captured his attention is Sophie, the maid for the formidable Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), aka Lady Penwood and her daughters, the vicious and self-absorbed Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao) and the sweet but simple Posy Li (Isabella Wei).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
