GRAPPLING (WITH) Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

grappling (with)

verb

Definition of grappling (with)

present participle of grapple (with)

as in addressing

to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently a medical ethicist who grapples with extremely difficult questions all the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling (with)

Verb

The city's new response team is intended to provide additional support for people experiencing homelessness while also addressing concerns in public spaces.

— Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
Without directly addressing the situation, Coppetti told analysts on Tuesday’s call that On has become the number two premium footwear brand in China, citing a third-party study.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of addressing

Verb

Officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry.

— Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Here, eBay coned off a series of handling challenges as a competition for the media on site to experience all four cars headed to auction.

— Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of handling

Verb

The overall aim is to reduce the time spent managing cleaning equipment and increase the amount of time a pool is ready for use.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
The approach could offer military units greater flexibility in managing ammunition supplies, particularly when operating drones that require different payload configurations.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

The scenarios in which these tradeoffs may take place are wide-ranging, with the Anthropic researchers citing opening an auto plant, downsizing a company, and manipulating election sentiment as examples.

— Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
The former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley recently pleaded guilty to manipulating his prop bets.

— New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of manipulating

Verb

The crackdown prompted alarm among radicals as signs increasingly showed the government treating political violence as a product of organized networks, not just individual defendants.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
Investigations should examine eligibility rules, selection practices, and institutional relationships rather than treating every demographic disparity as proof of wrongdoing.

— Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of treating

Verb

Everyone was up for hiking and taking cable cars to waterfalls; paragliding was sadly vetoed.

— Claudia Laroye, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
After taking a 13-10 lead to start the third quarter, the Tigers got an extra possession after forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of taking

Verb

Before the strike action, the government had been negotiating with unions -- a familiar scenario in French politics -- in hopes of limiting the protest movement, which has resulted in France's most violent civil unrest in years.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Hadall said his team is negotiating a lease-back agreement with Browder Brown to ensure operational continuity while building out the production facility.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of negotiating

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.

Browse Nearby Words

grappling

grappling (with)

grasp

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Grappling (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappling%20%28with%29. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of grappling (with)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gauntlet

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes