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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of grapples
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
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Dark visions and secrets quickly come to light, as Mārama grapples with her heritage in the shadow of colonizers.
—
William Earl,
Variety,
26 June 2026
The news comes as Lackland Air Force Base in Texas — home to the Air Force's Basic Military Training program — grapples with a flu outbreak that has infected 275 people in recent weeks, a congressional staffer with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.
—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
As their bond deepens into romance, Sonya grapples with her fear of judgment and uncertainty about embracing her true self.
—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
But as the district grapples with growing financial woes, more Chicago schools have leaned on parent fundraising, rental income, cell tower revenue and more to pay for essentials, including staffing.
—
Mila Koumpilova,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
At the same time, the middle market remains sluggish as private equity grapples with aging portfolios and looks to AI‑driven value‑creation partnerships as a new catalyst.
—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Roaring and grunting, his body sleek with blood and sweat, Conan tussles and grapples with a series of opponents, dominating them all, while an audience of torch-wielding vulgarians shouts and howls at the pit’s lip.
—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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
But that initiative is now under strain as Crimea grapples with power outages and fuel shortages.
—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Dark visions and secrets quickly come to light, as Mārama grapples with her heritage in the shadow of colonizers.
—
William Earl,
Variety,
26 June 2026
The news comes as Lackland Air Force Base in Texas — home to the Air Force's Basic Military Training program — grapples with a flu outbreak that has infected 275 people in recent weeks, a congressional staffer with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.
—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
As their bond deepens into romance, Sonya grapples with her fear of judgment and uncertainty about embracing her true self.
—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
But as the district grapples with growing financial woes, more Chicago schools have leaned on parent fundraising, rental income, cell tower revenue and more to pay for essentials, including staffing.
—
Mila Koumpilova,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
At the same time, the middle market remains sluggish as private equity grapples with aging portfolios and looks to AI‑driven value‑creation partnerships as a new catalyst.
—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Roaring and grunting, his body sleek with blood and sweat, Conan tussles and grapples with a series of opponents, dominating them all, while an audience of torch-wielding vulgarians shouts and howls at the pit’s lip.
—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples
Noun
-
Concurrently, the Metcalf family is coming to grips with the world having access to the graphic and disturbing audio and visuals that Collin County Courts made public.
-
Coming to grips Prepare for sparks to fly.
Noun
-
But the focus stays very much on the struggles of married life.
-
The book came out when mental illness was heavily stigmatized; Styron paved the way for authors to write about their own struggles with depression and similar disorders.
Verb
-
The officer then wrestles the woman to the ground.
-
If Kittle wrestles a crocodile down under, who is winning?
Verb
-
What actually cuts through and grabs attention nowadays is humanity, clarity and credibility in messaging.
-
When Martinez throws something back, the woman rushes toward her, throws her to the ground, grabs her by the hair and repeatedly attacks her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Noun
-
Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.
-
The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.
Noun
-
First, the worst conference changes hadn’t struck yet, and some of the rivalries torn apart by previous realignments were even getting back together.
-
As Miranda works to protect the magazine's influence, old alliances and rivalries are tested, putting Andy in the middle of another complicated chapter in her career.
Verb
-
Angèle’s narrative never catches fire and while Anei is striking as Ada, that section of the film feels slightly patronizing, reducing this immigrant tale to yet another strained salute to perseverance.
-
Then something unusual catches your eye.
Noun
-
Informal Beyblade battles are popping up in strangest of places, with players huddling in parks, gyms and shopping malls.
-
Unlike in Jalisco or Michoacán, spectacular gun battles are hardly ever seen in Colima.
Cite this Entry
“Grapples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapples. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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