grappled (with)

verb

past tense of grapple (with)
as in addressed
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently a medical ethicist who grapples with extremely difficult questions all the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled (with)
  1. addressed
  2. managed
  3. handled
  4. manipulated
  5. treated
  6. negotiated
  7. took
Verb
  • Instead, Drinkwitz addressed it all with a certain restraint and nuance.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Near the end of the letter, the couple addressed their daughter by name.
    — Emma Witman, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of addressed
Verb
  • Deckhand Matt may just be the most audacious toe-stepper to debut in this franchise since Alesia, who, in the last season of Down Under, managed to rearrange the interior team according to her own proclivities.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • This looming ban — slipped into a sweeping budget bill passed by Congress last year — was set to go into effect this November before a bipartisan coalition of senators managed to punt the deadline by a month, to December 11.
    — Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of managed
Verb
  • Pando has since handled more than 57 terabytes of Git packfiles in a single hour.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Tia, on her end, handled the ambush skillfully, parrying jabs without raising her voice to prevent Wendy from having any opening to feign victimization.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of handled
Verb
  • Brand was chaotic, dismissive and manipulated the people around him.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The company says its investigation has yet to reveal any evidence that any investigation data has been accessed or Chainalysis attribution data has been manipulated.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of manipulated
Verb
  • To shed light on these advancements, our NBC News colleague Sue Kroll opened up about her journey getting tested and treated for early signs of Alzheimer’s in her 50s.
    — Josephine Murphy, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Communication usually appears somewhere on the list, but it’s often treated as a secondary skill—something that helps leaders express their ideas rather than something that shapes leadership itself.
    — Julien Fortuit, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of treated
Verb
  • The current agreement, which was negotiated and signed toward the end of the Obama administration, is set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2028.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • According to various reports, Joe went out and negotiated a new contract without telling Troy.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of negotiated
Verb
  • With the release of 2025’s Succession of Belief EP, gyrofield’s evolution took a sudden leap, reorienting around flushed, hypnotic beats that marched to an obdurate pulse.
    — Lisle Younger, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Milla Jovovich took a moment to celebrate her oldest daughter, Ever Anderson, with a rare photo tribute posted to her Instagram account on November 2.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of took
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.

Browse Nearby Words

grappled
grappled (with)
grapples
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Cite this Entry

“Grappled (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled%20%28with%29. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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