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

The riotous 640-page door stopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026 Its soaring, sometimes Madonna-esque dance pop grapples with love, loss, and renewal in the shadow of 2025’s Los Angeles wildfires. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026 Moreover, Hollywood unions and civic leaders have been desperate to retain productions in Los Angeles after a yearslong departure to other cities and countries and as the industry writ large grapples with AI’s impact on the production process. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 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

Verb

Floodplain development has been a particularly sore subject in Benbrook as the suburb on the western edge of Fort Worth grapples with responsible growth. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026 In the exclusive first-look clip above, O’Connor artfully grapples with his longing to return to music, hugging a past version of himself playing the violin as his face bleeds from a boxing injury. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026 The ice may be thawing in the United States-Canada trade negotiations as the former heads into a contentious midterm season and the latter grapples with a flagging export economy. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026 Jordan Cvetanovski, chairman and CIO at Pella Funds, said China's equity market continues to face structural challenges, particularly as the world's second-largest economy grapples with the fallout from years of excess capacity and overinvestment. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Mass protests and rioting swept France over the weekend as the eurozone’s second-largest economy grapples with stagflation. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 State wildlife officials have reported a record number of bear encounters and conflicts this year as the state grapples with the effects of extreme drought — which means fewer natural food sources for bears and other animals. — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026 The riotous 640-page doorstopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 Although no team walked away with either of the two grand prizes, such technologies could prove helpful as the world grapples with the growing costs of worsening wildfire disasters. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples

Noun

In the wake of October 7, antisemitism has been an issue the BBC has struggled to get to grips with and documentary strand Storyville is in the eye of the storm.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
Heated grips come as standard, while a reversible gearshift mechanism allows riders to switch to a race-style reverse shifting pattern for circuit use.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of grips

Noun

Adebayo inched closer to becoming the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder, but his early-season struggles continue.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
In the lead-up to Sunday night’s game, the Chiefs maintained their confidence in Butker, with special teams coordinator Dave Toub suggesting the kicker would work through his struggles.

— Pete Sweeney October 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggles

Verb

Each also wrestles with the devastated idealism of our times.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Tallinn’s Critics’ Picks strand spotlights films with a clear artistic point of view and a fresh take on storytelling, including work that wrestles with genre, cinema’s past and the social issues of the moment.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrestles

Verb

Why the ridiculous prices are worth it Bob Baffert grabs a water out of a nearby cooler to keep the searing heat and humidity at bay.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Illinois center Tomislav Ivišić grabs a rebound past UConn forward Jayden Ross during the first half of their Final Four game on April 4, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

— Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 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

To reestablish and preserve traditional rivalries and eliminate cross-country travel demands, restore conference alignments to their original geographical moorings.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
But the Tigers have the clear advantage on paper, even as rivalries can bring out unorthodox circumstances.

— PJ Green October 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Verb

Life and social structures in remote river villages are rooted in summer fish camps, where the community catches, processes, and preserves the salmon that feeds them through the winter.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Participants step or jump off a platform more than 40 feet above the ground, experiencing a brief moment of free fall before the rope system catches them and slowly lowers them to the ground.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of catches

Noun

At the morning roundtable, Alan tells the players that Marathon, Agincourt, and Waterloo were all decisive battles fought early in the day.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Across the two films, the saga will follow Shivaji Maharaj through his major battles and victories, the sacrifices that came with them and episodes from his life that are less widely known.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026