GRAPPLES Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

grapples 1 of 2

noun

plural of grapple

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

grapples

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of grapple

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

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 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 grapples

Noun

Engineers will equip it with specialized tools, including grapples, cutters, and buckets. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026 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

The guidance could have been even higher if not for supply constraints, as the company grapples with shortages in parts like memory, which faces a global crunch due to AI buildouts. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 As Hollywood grapples with steep production declines, producer Manny Halley is reviving the former Quixote North Valley studio facility, rebranding the 125,000-square-foot complex as Imani Studio under a 25-year lease. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 As America grapples with physician shortages, rising healthcare costs and an epidemic of chronic disease, policymakers continue searching for ways to improve access to care. — Joel Zive, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 The selection process — the second to be headed by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability — is unfolding as the city grapples with an unwelcome uptick in gun violence in the waning days of summer. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Although the Sacramento Valley grapples with its own groundwater challenges, growers in the Yuba-Sutter area tend to have greater access to water due to nearby rivers fed annually by rain and snowmelt. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Featuring a soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates the era, this intimate portrait also serves as an ode to friendship, youth and the discovery of one’s creativity, as Ann grapples with grief and healing while edging towards adulthood. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026 In the trailer, Percy grapples with a dream about The Great Prophecy. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 OpenAI grapples with this existential question in a 69-page report published on August 11 on the enterprise adoption of ChatGPT. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples

Noun

From silicone grips that help prevent slipping to stretchy bands that move with you, these bras are made for off-the-shoulder tops, strapless dresses, halter tops, and more.

— Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
Although climate scientists warned in the nineteen-eighties that extreme heat posed a growing danger, policymakers in Europe didn’t come to grips with it until August, 2003, when a heat wave killed more than seventy thousand people.

— Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of grips

Noun

Birth of daughter and personal struggles Meanwhile, following a lull in her career in the late 1990s, Smith returned to the spotlight in 2000.

— Imani Sumbi, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
In reality, Loesby contends, many struggles reflect predictable structural mismatches — a lawyer who prefers depth and analysis struggling in a role that rewards constant responsiveness, or one who thrives on collaboration disengaging in isolation.

— Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Verb

Brave Irene wrestles the dress and rides the box downhill like a sled in order to reach the duchess, who is anxiously waiting for her gown.

— Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
Season 1 reportedly will be centered around DC bad guy Gorilla Grodd, who often wrestles The Flash.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 8 July 2026

Definition of wrestles

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

Definition of grasps

Noun

The policy updates come amid the slew of ongoing legal battles by players who were originally part of the 2022 high school recruiting class seeking a fifth year of collegiate eligibility.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Then came battles with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.

— Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026