Synonyms of grappling

grappling

verb

present participle of grapple

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

• wrestling
• fighting
• tussling
• scuffling
• brawling
• battling
• rassling
• combating
• dueling
• contending
• punching
• sparring
• boxing
• hitting
• striking
• battering
• clashing (with)
• slugging
• skirmishing
• buffeting
• bashing
• warring (against)
• beating

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

• grabbing
• catching
• snatching
• seizing
• capturing
• getting
• landing
• trapping
• hooking
• snagging
• rapping
• snaring
• nailing
• netting
• copping
• bagging
• corralling
• taking hold (of)
• snapping (up)
• nabbing
• grasping
• collaring
• glomming
• nobbling
• clutching
• holding
• arresting
• gripping
• roping
• securing
• apprehending
• gloving
• clasping
• lassoing
• detaining
• wresting
• cornering
• entangling
• fisting
• rending
• kidnapping
• meshing
• ensnaring
• latching (on or onto)
• haltering
• baying
• enmeshing
• fastening (on)
• entrapping
• abducting
• spiriting (away or off)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• missing
• releasing
• freeing
• discharging
• liberating
• dropping
• loosening
• unhanding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of grappling

Fans of celebrity bald eagle Jackie are again grappling with troubling news about her health, the latest downturn in an uneven recovery since her rescue near Big Bear Lake last month. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Part of the process included increasing the duration of the satellite’s thruster burns to get ready for the multi-hour firings needed while grappling the observatory. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Gen Z has already weathered a pandemic are grappling with the impact of a war and technological revolution. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

In Arizona, for example, construction companies are trying to keep up with growth while grappling with a shortage of workers. — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

The Five Internal Conversations That Are Stuck Every enterprise technology company is grappling with the same questions. — Pallavi Mahajan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Hollywood, the historic epicenter of American film and television productions, has been grappling with production fleeing California in search of more competitive tax incentives. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

Ted Lasso, forever more interested in preserving an atmosphere of sterile niceness than grappling with complex humanity, isn’t it. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

Against that backdrop, the poll paints a picture of a population still grappling with profound grief while expressing overwhelming dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the crisis. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026