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 Liverpool are grappling with the demands of Andoni Iraola’s philosophy, and that has meant playing at a higher tempo. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 The district is grappling with a $222 million structural deficit, and its unrestricted contribution to special education has more than doubled since 2018-19. — Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 In Tehran’s inaugural art month, artists are grappling with and surviving the violence around them—whether from the war with the US and Israel, or from their own regime—through their creations, reports the Financial Times. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Shoemaker DeMio says that cost burden comes as many families are already grappling with high living costs and steep gas prices. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026 Between songs, the members spoke mostly in Korean, though much of the music was sung in English — a decision BTS is shown grappling with in a Netflix documentary about the making of the new album. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 The company is also grappling with AI costs after employees used up their entire 2026 budget for the technology in just four months, according to media reports. — Akash Sriram, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 Your characters are often grappling with the question of how to lead a good life. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 Virtually every large business is grappling with surging AI token costs. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling

Verb

Using LLMs to smooth out the challenges of wrestling with a text, of struggling to find the right words to convey a thought, of piloting one’s own personal and intellectual development, is antithetical to this type of education.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Getting them in a room together was like wrestling mythological beasts.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of wrestling

Verb

The helicopter crashed in a driveway between two warehouses, smashing into a pair of truck cargo containers while the news crew tried grabbing video footage of a serious collision involving a Metro bus that also left two people dead.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Schlereth, a former Pro Bowl guard, did not agree with the penalty in general, as Brewer was grabbing Raiders defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi’s jersey in the chest area.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Muslim leaders and community members, in turn, told the USA TODAY Network they’re left fighting to defend their faith and warning the nation that its founding principles are at stake.

— BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
But Verstappen had enough to pull clear in the last few laps and grab third, with the McLaren drivers slowed fighting amongst themselves.

— Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

Smith answered Saturday against Ball State, catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns — all before halftime — and striking the pose after his second score.

— Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
An angler could have a ton of fun catching bluegills under the lights with fly fishing gear.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Not just college kids, but Others cheering for Texas’ football team and snatching up Texas’ degrees.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
London — Images of masked men riding along London's streets on mopeds or electric bikes and snatching phones straight out of the hand of unsuspecting tourists and locals have gone viral in recent years.

— Emmet Lyons, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of snatching

Verb

At their height, jihadi groups proved capable of spectacular violence, forming alliances amid civil wars and even seizing territory.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
But the truth of it is that Sharaa forced his hand by seizing swathes of the SDF’s territory in a lightning offensive in January.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of seizing

Verb

As consumers use emerging tools like AI to explore different looks and try on silhouettes, this data is an early indication of the looks capturing consumers’ attention throughout the year.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Video capturing the college's May 2025 graduation captured the loud cheers of Ania's mother, Diana.

— Olivia Young, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of capturing

Verb

Underwood, the five-star recruit from the Detroit area who commanded a multimillion-dollar name, image and likeness deal to sign with Michigan, had completed only 11 passes before getting a last-second reprieve.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The priority, however, is getting Ohtani back to himself on the offensive side before the postseason — whether that means a couple days off or more than a week.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026