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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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

The earnings come as the home improvement retailer grapples with a slower housing market and a more cautious consumer. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 19 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 Advocates say the last-minute intervention shows what public pressure can achieve, even as the family braces for a pivotal immigration hearing and grapples with trauma from her detention. — Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 14 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples

Noun

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
Economic ‘death zone’ Such measures fail to get to grips with the sheer scale of the problem, said Mathias Brüggmann in Die Tageszeitung (Berlin).

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of grips

Noun

Panettiere’s sudden death sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where the father of their child mourned the beloved actress and activist who battled a host of struggles.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
The movie's themes of addiction, redemption and spiritual transformation also prompted Sorbo to discuss his belief that some struggles can involve more than physical or psychological factors.

— Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 19 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

Tanger centers are places where family and friends can gather, our green spaces play host to everything from yoga classes to food truck rallies to high school battles of the bands.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Once in Korea, O’Hara worked with the Korean stunt team to refine the choreography even further, making battles out of the small-scale struggle of opening a door, of how characters could make it to the glass break outside.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026