1
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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2
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
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Recent Examples of grappling
Airports across the country are grappling with hundreds of delays and cancellations, driven by a deepening air traffic controller shortage and the ongoing government shutdown.
—
Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Nov. 2025
Republicans grappling with Tuesday’s Democratic romp are warning the White House that no matter how many foreign policy goals the president achieves, voters will care about the economy more.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
The results may also reflect residents grappling with the county’s ongoing housing and affordability crisis.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
School districts and law enforcement across the country have been grappling with this issue as school shootings continue unabated.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grappling
Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Nov. 2025
Republicans grappling with Tuesday’s Democratic romp are warning the White House that no matter how many foreign policy goals the president achieves, voters will care about the economy more.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
The results may also reflect residents grappling with the county’s ongoing housing and affordability crisis.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
School districts and law enforcement across the country have been grappling with this issue as school shootings continue unabated.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grappling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling
Verb
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Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
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Having trouble wrestling your little one into the bath?—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 5-11 200-pound standout has accumulated mind-boggling stats through nine games -- 1,098 rushing yards and 17 TDs while grabbing a team-leading 42 passes for 974 yards and 18 scores.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Nikola Jokic put up 26 points on 12 of 15 shooting, while also dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Barton gave the jury the impression of a man prepared to go into daily combat on numerous fronts, constantly fighting one battle after another, in service of his principles.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Justice Department under him was not really interested in fighting crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Through the air, their pass-catching group is one of the worst in the playoffs.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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At Oklahoma, Livingstone will be catching passes from John Mateer, who completed 62% of his passes for 2,885 yards in 2025, accumulating 14 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Keep going and the path climbs to the top of the arch, a high perch with breath-snatching panoramas.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Shea Moisture Define & Shine Edge Gel slicks my edges back without snatching them to hell.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But seizing current oil production is one thing; overhauling Venezuela's entire oil industry would be another.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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Trump has occasionally discussed seizing Greenland since his first term but few initially took his threats seriously.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The odds are stacked against independent and specialty films capturing audience attention.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 2021, after homing in on wet processing as a major hot spot, Kering purchased the first 15 of PlanetCare’s commercial microfiber filters, capable of capturing 90 percent of shed strands, to install in several knitwear facilities in Italy.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If Carolina is thinking about the big picture, giving Coker the extra year, perhaps valued as a first- or second-round tender, is just getting ahead of a formality.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
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Chief among them is getting to be a mentor to newer cast members, such as Marcello Hernández.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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