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
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
The European Union rolled out two measures to protect its steel industry and limit e-commerce small parcels on Wednesday as the 27-nation bloc grapples with its staggering trade imbalance with China.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
Putin said a task force was working to alleviate the issue, which has grown into a serious crisis as the Kremlin grapples with simmering discontent on a range of issues.
—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
29 June 2026
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
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
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
As Hollywood grapples with AI‘s potential impact, Jodie Foster believes the tech is already very present in the industry.
—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
The European Union rolled out two measures to protect its steel industry and limit e-commerce small parcels on Wednesday as the 27-nation bloc grapples with its staggering trade imbalance with China.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
Putin said a task force was working to alleviate the issue, which has grown into a serious crisis as the Kremlin grapples with simmering discontent on a range of issues.
—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
29 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples
Noun
-
The loudest crash of gravitational waves ever heard has offered us insight into event horizons, the boundaries beyond which nothing can escape the grips of black holes.
-
For me, the purpose of art is to come to grips with the demons of the past, present, and future; to give form to chaos; to enable us to process fear; and to conceive of a different, more humane future.
Noun
-
And then there’s the guy that had a lot of success, and through injuries or struggles, needs to change some things and adjust some things.
-
The actress spent a few years away from Hollywood, working at a treatment center after her own struggles with substance abuse.
Verb
-
Francis also wrestles occasionally for Boca Raton Championship Wrestling in South Florida and competed prior for Coastal Championship Wrestling in South and Central Florida.
-
The officer then wrestles the woman to the ground.
Verb
-
Once inside, she’s confronted by Tommy (James Eddie), who stupidly grabs her to escort her out.
-
When forecasters warn about a heat wave, the number that grabs headlines is the daytime high.
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
-
At a time when the news cycle seems to serve up nothing but conflict, crisis and woe, the World Cup offers shelter, a truly international event in which conflict is defined by long-term sports rivalries and questionable referee decisions.
-
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly looking to pair James with Stephen Curry, which would turn one of the NBA's greatest rivalries into two of the game's greatest stars fighting for their fifth title together.
Verb
-
Kessler catches an empty side screen involving Anfernee Simons and calmly plays in drop, backpedals smoothly, slides laterally for a stride, opens his hips and tricks Simons to shoot before swatting it away with his left hand.
-
Any successful catches need to be killed humanely following strict state guidelines, as well as accurately documented.
Noun
-
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the action in Ukraine to receive a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of intense street battles.
-
Legal battles can discourage farmers Mora said the years-long litigation has left him feeling frustrated and defenseless.
Cite this Entry
“Grapples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapples. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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