GRAPPLING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

grappling

verb

Definition of grappling

present participle of grapple

as in wrestling

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

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as in grabbing

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 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 grappling The documents land as the US itself is grappling with slipping vaccination rates and unbridled measles outbreaks, which have killed two people, including a newborn, this year. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 Virtually every large business is grappling with surging AI token costs. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Consumers stateside have been grappling with tighter budgets due to sticky inflation and higher gasoline prices – and this contributed to PepsiCo's earnings miss in the second quarter. — Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 The Dallas-Fort Worth area has been grappling with hot temperatures this week that are above average, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 The series included memorable footage of the Giants grappling with the exit of Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026 Americans have generally managed to keep their credit scores intact despite grappling with high prices and economic worries, but don't let that fool you into thinking consumers are all okay. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Governments also are grappling with rising food and energy bills, leaving less money for education. — Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Still, crossing six figures is a symbolic milestone for an industry already grappling with questions about affordability and whether a college degree is worth getting. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling

Verb

Newly restored and directed by Greaves’ son David, the film captures the group’s reminiscing, arguing, and wrestling with how culture survives across generations.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
But who needs to worry about whether your own front door is locked when the preferred strategy is to go around kicking in everyone else’s doors, wrestling with them on their own front lawns, then declaring victory over them 152 times (and counting)?

— Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of wrestling

Verb

Two men bought tickets to enter Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) before smashing a display case, grabbing a 200-carat platinum and diamond necklace and walking away, police said Friday.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
In the commercial, Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark rushes over to his golf bag and pushes over golfer Alexis Miestowski to keep her from grabbing the Quantum Driver.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Body camera footage shows that Jonah Neal did not pose a threat that warranted deadly force when a member of the federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis shot him in late May, according to a lawyer representing his family.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
Surveillance video obtained by ABC7 New York shows two men fighting in the street before gunshots ring out, and a vehicle swerves around the moped, appearing to flee the scene.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

There was no catching the Redhawks on this night with Hayes playing like a world-beater.

— Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
During the show, he was filmed skiing to the South Pole, catching a giant anaconda, milking a venomous tarantula and diving under the ice of the North Pole.

— Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Wealthy Americans living in luxe California mansions and New York penthouses are now snatching up historic homes abroad.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Lately Becker has been snatching up vintage Lalique pieces that, in this setting, have the frosty haze of sea glass.

— Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of snatching

Verb

Researchers trained the system on flat-ground walking data from Medauroidea extradentata, capturing movements across 18 leg joints.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Anedda’s way of capturing different moments from different linguistic or interpretive points of view allows the everyday elements of our lives to find space in poetry, democratically.

— Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of capturing

Verb

Yankees fans might be getting flashbacks of Boone’s defense for Anthony Volpe, who similarly faded into inconsistency after emerging as the apparent heir to the franchise’s shortstop role.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
And with 11 billion tons of freight moved by truck in 2024, the stakes of getting safety right extend far beyond the competition floor.

— Alice Barlow, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026