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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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 The industry acknowledges the marketing power of social media but grapples with balancing publicity and guest privacy. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The first two months of summer in western Europe have been the hottest on record, the European Union’s climate monitor said Monday, as the continent grapples with devastating wildfires and braces for yet another heatwave. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 The rationing comes as Puerto Rico grapples with persistent drought conditions, unusually hot temperatures and long-standing infrastructure problems. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 But the Army is also opening its ranges as the Pentagon grapples with the costs of the Iran war, which has diminished the nation's stockpiles of advanced weapons that sometimes cost millions of dollars for a single missile or interceptor. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 Macdonald said the deal lands as the airline sector grapples with multiple pressure points. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 But the Army is also opening its ranges as the Pentagon grapples with the costs of the Iran war, which has diminished the nation’s stockpiles of advanced weapons that sometimes cost millions of dollars for a single missile or interceptor. — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples

Noun

Puerto Rico will implement water rationing measures in San Juan and other major cities starting today as a drought grips the territory.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Plant operators have reduced output to about 10% of normal production, prompting the government to introduce emergency conservation measures as a record-breaking heat wave grips the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of grips

Noun

After the slayings, Nick’s struggles with mental health and drug addiction made headlines.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
That credibility often transfers to the guest, creating an authentic form of brand exposure that traditional advertising struggles to replicate.

— Julio Cesar Gomez, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Verb

Season 1 reportedly will be centered around DC bad guy Gorilla Grodd, who often wrestles The Flash.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 8 July 2026
Francis also wrestles occasionally for Boca Raton Championship Wrestling in South Florida and competed prior for Coastal Championship Wrestling in South and Central Florida.

— James Varsallone, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Definition of wrestles

Verb

But his wildly unfiltered speech grabs the attention of beautiful and brash public defender Ginger (Gilpin), herself a crusader for truth.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
Profanity also grabs attention since the shock value of an F-bomb can lead to more media coverage and clips circulating on social media.

— Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of grabs

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

Dynastic rivalries, regional rebellions, economic disruption, and the demographic effects of the Black Death all undermined imperial authority.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Professional sports have always thrived on heroes, villains, rivalries and grievances.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Verb

Tyler Clouse / Getty Images Earlier, Twins players and team legends also toured the movie site with several participating in father-son catches.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Be sure to grab a chocolate babka muffin and a slice of whatever the cake of the week is, as well as anything else that catches your eye.

— Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of catches

Noun

Teams earned points by winning weekly head-to-head battles – tugging a sled across the field the fastest, surviving a heated game of dodgeball – and by simply doing the right thing.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
More recently, the legal battles became the subject of barbs and jokes as comedian Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in late June.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026