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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
Angelica Ang, Fortune, 28 May 2026
In a morose Season 2, the group, now shrunken to a fivesome, with Ginny and her baby sometimes in tow, grapples with life after Nick and what their respective next chapters might bring.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 28 May 2026
As the United States’ biggest domestic producer of memory chips, Micron’s gains come as the company itself grapples with demand for its product.
—Mark Dee
may 27, Idaho Statesman, 27 May 2026
Juliet also grapples with uncertainty—torn between family loyalty and authentic love — but shows more agency in her decisions than Romeo.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Portland's climate fund continues to grow, even as much of the nation grapples with severe federal funding cuts for climate projects.
—Monica Samayoa, NPR, 20 May 2026
As Raul grapples with telling the story of Elsa’s life, he’s confronted by the murkiness of borrowing from real people for the purposes of fiction.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 May 2026
The region already grapples with a humanitarian crisis Mongbwalu in Ituri province is in a remote eastern part of the country, with poor road networks more than 620 miles from Kinshasa.
—Jean-Yves Kamale, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The jump in yields comes as Warsh, who was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, grapples with an increasingly complicated inflation picture.
—Jeff Cox,hugh Leask,sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 May 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
El Nino meets Iran To make matters worse, 2026’s Super El Nino hits right as Asia grapples with a fuel crisis sparked by the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 28 May 2026
In a morose Season 2, the group, now shrunken to a fivesome, with Ginny and her baby sometimes in tow, grapples with life after Nick and what their respective next chapters might bring.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 28 May 2026
As the United States’ biggest domestic producer of memory chips, Micron’s gains come as the company itself grapples with demand for its product.
—Mark Dee
may 27, Idaho Statesman, 27 May 2026
Juliet also grapples with uncertainty—torn between family loyalty and authentic love — but shows more agency in her decisions than Romeo.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Portland's climate fund continues to grow, even as much of the nation grapples with severe federal funding cuts for climate projects.
—Monica Samayoa, NPR, 20 May 2026
As Raul grapples with telling the story of Elsa’s life, he’s confronted by the murkiness of borrowing from real people for the purposes of fiction.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 May 2026
The region already grapples with a humanitarian crisis Mongbwalu in Ituri province is in a remote eastern part of the country, with poor road networks more than 620 miles from Kinshasa.
—Jean-Yves Kamale, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The jump in yields comes as Warsh, who was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, grapples with an increasingly complicated inflation picture.
—Jeff Cox,hugh Leask,sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples
Noun
-
As the World Cup grips North America this summer, China will again watch from the sidelines.—
Reagan Yip,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
Breakfasts are vast and need a Mimosa to get to grips with.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Ohtani was back to a full starter’s workload for the first time since 2023, even mentioning fatigue in his postgame interview after his second start of the season, and before games was working to address his offensive struggles.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the loss but downplayed any worries about the team’s struggles after the game.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The officer then wrestles the woman to the ground.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
If Kittle wrestles a crocodile down under, who is winning?—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Kennedy then pins the snake’s head and grabs it by the mouth, avoiding any potential venomous bites.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Davis grabs two suitcases off the belt, pulls out a handheld computer that looks like an extra-rugged iPad, and scans the bar codes on the luggage tags.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
26 May 2026
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
Noun
-
The narrative tracks Maurício (Reymond), a retired player striving to establish a new career as an agent in the aggressive football business while managing industry rivalries, family tensions, and the legacy of his past disappointments.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
The diary was still treated primarily as evidence of motive, evidence about the boys, their rivalries, their jealousy, their emotional states.—
Kate Casey,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
That last risk is the most dangerous, since an error nobody catches becomes a decision the business acts on.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
The app provides instant feedback and catches pronunciation mistakes.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Staal’s still elite at winning defensive zone puck battles, which helps tee up Ehlers to play to his strengths and gives the Canes an all-three-zone impact in their minutes that has added up to a 66 percent xG rate.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Calvert shares similar views and has survived an ethics complaint and two previous redistricting battles during his 33 years in Congress.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grapples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapples. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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