1
as in grip
the act or manner of holding
was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
after a grapple with his conscience, he confessed to having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wrestle
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
2
as in to grab
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
as in to address
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
a medical ethicist who grapples with extremely difficult questions all the time
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grapple
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025
The Conference Realignment Ripple Effect As the NCAA grapples with name, image, and likeness policies, transfer portal dynamics, and mounting mental health concerns, the 2024/25 season also brought with it major conference realignments.
—Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Outside of pipeline issues, Novo Nordisk and the rest of the pharmaceutical industry are grappling with the Trump administration’s ambitions to lower drug prices and bring manufacturing to the U.S.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
Dope Thief’s Ray, for instance, grapples with a complicated relationship with his father, who was absent for much of his life.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025
The Conference Realignment Ripple Effect As the NCAA grapples with name, image, and likeness policies, transfer portal dynamics, and mounting mental health concerns, the 2024/25 season also brought with it major conference realignments.
—Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
But the raid appears to be part of a pattern of farm attacks that has persisted for years in South Africa, a country grappling with one of the world’s highest murder rates.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Outside of pipeline issues, Novo Nordisk and the rest of the pharmaceutical industry are grappling with the Trump administration’s ambitions to lower drug prices and bring manufacturing to the U.S.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
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The long, ergonomic handle is designed for adult hands, ensuring a comfortable grip during feeding sessions.—
Toby Rose,
Parents,
22 May 2025
-
That means proper accounting, clean P&Ls, and a firm grip on metrics like customer acquisition cost and lifetime value.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Barry Keoghan is sharing something deeply personal about his struggle with sobriety.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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The Duchess of Sussex launched her lifestyle brand, As ever, in March, and has discussed some of the struggles of starting a business on the podcast.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Undertaking this transformation requires a firm grasp of agentic AI, knowledge of its applications in finance activities and, most importantly, a solid game plan linked to the overall talent strategy.—
Jim DeLoach,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Joan Benoit: The younger generation has a grasp on gender identity in a way that my generation never did.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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As a 60-person battle royale, matches can be extremely long and, in tournament play, repeat over and over for hours until a winning team can be crowned.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2025
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One scene sure to be an audience favorite has David and his antagonist facing off on either side of the glass wall in a recording studio, sparking a hilarious impromptu rap battle of sorts.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration had filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court after rulings from a pair of federal judges put the ban on hold.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
Power dynamics, past sacrifices (like one partner putting their career on hold) and trust issues all resurface during this stage.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
At times, the rivalry between the players has become the biggest topic of discussion in sports and eclipsed the athletic world, raising issues of race and gender equality.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
This is a space that is ripe for standardization, the entry of new players in the market, and more vendor rivalries and drama.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The game had the look of a pitchers’ duel going into the ninth inning with first-place Philadelphia leading 1-0 thanks to a home run from Trea Turner leading off the game.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
24 May 2025
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May departed with the Dodgers trailing 1-0 and was initially in line to be the hard-luck loser of a pitchers’ duel with Burnes, but Hernandez changed that with one swing.—
Kyle Glaser,
Oc Register,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The 34-year-old shot a 7-under 64 to put himself into contention, sitting at 5-under for the tournament and tied for fourth entering Saturday’s moving day.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
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In order to be in prime contention to win the division this fall, a repeat performance might be necessary.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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