1
as in grips
the act or manner of holding
was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggles
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 wrestles
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 grabs
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
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Recent Examples of grapples
Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Four days of grapples, reversals and takedowns are on deck at Grand Casino Arena.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
As the entertainment industry in general and Hollywood in particular grapples with the heartbreaking deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner over the weekend, tributes to the beloved couple continue to pour in far and wide.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
How One Battle After Another grapples with the best ways to wage a revolution.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
The matches are intense, with powerful throws and strategic grapples, and the crowd's energy adds to the electric atmosphere.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Ghesquière said the approach stood out as fashion grapples with the advances of new technologies.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
Eve Chen, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
This year, small ski areas in Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah are trying their hand at snow farming — a sign that new, work-intensive interventions are becoming a necessity as the ski industry grapples with climate change.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
His young bride—unnamed, like most women in the novel—silently grapples with the realization that she is not wanted.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The Transportation Security Administration warned new airport screeners won’t be ready in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the agency grapples with staffing shortages during a prolonged Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 25 Mar. 2026
The first of three ships carrying food, medical supplies, solar panels, and other humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, three days behind schedule, as the island grapples with a worsening economic and energy crisis.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
As Kansas City grapples with fallout from a federal criminal investigation, a grand jury subpoena released this month has thrust into the spotlight a local nonprofit leader who worked with the city to combat homelessness.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and ICE employees were sent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and a little more than a dozen other airports around the country as the nation grapples with the hourslong wait times that have snarled travelers’ plans for more than a week.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Reinhart’s character, having woken up inside the ship, grapples with moments of doubt and anguish throughout the music video.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
Ritchson's 81 grapples with a severe case of survivor's guilt after watching his brother die in Afghanistan.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Four days of grapples, reversals and takedowns are on deck at Grand Casino Arena.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
As the entertainment industry in general and Hollywood in particular grapples with the heartbreaking deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner over the weekend, tributes to the beloved couple continue to pour in far and wide.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
How One Battle After Another grapples with the best ways to wage a revolution.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
The matches are intense, with powerful throws and strategic grapples, and the crowd's energy adds to the electric atmosphere.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Ghesquière said the approach stood out as fashion grapples with the advances of new technologies.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Scenes like that have become increasingly common at airports across the country, including near the nation's capital, as the Transportation Security Administration grapples with staffing shortages during a partial government shutdown.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
This year, small ski areas in Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah are trying their hand at snow farming — a sign that new, work-intensive interventions are becoming a necessity as the ski industry grapples with climate change.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
His young bride—unnamed, like most women in the novel—silently grapples with the realization that she is not wanted.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The Transportation Security Administration warned new airport screeners won’t be ready in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the agency grapples with staffing shortages during a prolonged Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 25 Mar. 2026
The first of three ships carrying food, medical supplies, solar panels, and other humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, three days behind schedule, as the island grapples with a worsening economic and energy crisis.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
As Kansas City grapples with fallout from a federal criminal investigation, a grand jury subpoena released this month has thrust into the spotlight a local nonprofit leader who worked with the city to combat homelessness.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and ICE employees were sent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and a little more than a dozen other airports around the country as the nation grapples with the hourslong wait times that have snarled travelers’ plans for more than a week.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Reinhart’s character, having woken up inside the ship, grapples with moments of doubt and anguish throughout the music video.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples
Noun
-
The states with the highest rates have utility rate commissions that do not seem to be able to come to grips with how to charge the data center operators.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The industry still cannot come to grips with the previously unfathomable scenario of the strait staying shuttered for a prolonged period of time.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The committee will share the information with parents and staff on which campuses would be closed and more details on consolidation amid increasing financial struggles.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Screens in education are one factor increasingly under scrutiny as educators and parents search for explanations for this generation’s academic struggles, which became most pronounced during COVID-19 but have lingered even after years back in the physical classroom.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This is definitely something that every fan wrestles with.—
Dan Shanoff,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
At left, Nora wrestles Jefferson’s Ella Hughes during the finals of the 135-pound weight class.—
Jason Getz,
AJC.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Chibale grabs a chemistry book off the shelf in his office and riffles through a parade of molecules — each one like an old friend.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Afterward the man with the shotgun points it inside the truck’s cabin and the passenger grabs its barrel, the video shows.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Others are places of conflict caused by rivalries between countries or peoples, disputes over national resources, or disagreements about the past.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
If festive pride persists, it is no longer connected to a country, empire, culture, or race, but the unique traditions of individual municipalities, pitted against one another in fierce but friendly, sportsmanlike rivalries.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The 27-year-old Kmet primarily played in-line (62%) in 2025, but has demonstrated slot production in three straight years of 50-plus catches from 2021 to 2023.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The critical detail that catches many retirees off guard is the two-year lookback.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, groups like the nonpartisan Latino Victory Project, which focuses on developing Hispanic political leadership, said this current moment should not distract from the still-ongoing civil rights battles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Understandably, some gamers may be skeptical or even alarmed, given the ethical issues and legal battles surrounding generative AI.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grapples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapples. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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