1
as in understood
to have a practical understanding of
he just doesn't grasp how important it is that he call when he'll be late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hugged
to put one's arms around and press tightly
the departing soldier grasped his children a little closer than usual
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in held
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the attendant grasped my arm and steered me towards the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in knew
to have a clear idea of
the emergency operator finally grasped what he was trying to tell her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grasped
Multiple responders then grasped the canine by the neck and back to lift it onboard, during which the dog could be heard slightly whimpering.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Kirk grasped how the internet has changed America, but his death has demonstrated—and, disturbingly, may have resulted from—the fundamentally anarchic nature of those changes.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Smaller cowbells can be grasped and shaken by little hands.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the last 24 hours is that Weiss appears not to have totally grasped the firestorm her decision would provoke.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Sympathetic business leaders have also grasped new opportunities to amplify illiberal narratives for global audiences.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Few investors had heard of the World Wide Web, let alone grasped its commercial potential.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
As grippers, two exoskeleton sections grasped delicate items like tomatoes as well as rigid objects like pens.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025
For the outro, Solís and Karol grasped hands and did a sweet dance.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Kirk grasped how the internet has changed America, but his death has demonstrated—and, disturbingly, may have resulted from—the fundamentally anarchic nature of those changes.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Smaller cowbells can be grasped and shaken by little hands.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the last 24 hours is that Weiss appears not to have totally grasped the firestorm her decision would provoke.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Sympathetic business leaders have also grasped new opportunities to amplify illiberal narratives for global audiences.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Few investors had heard of the World Wide Web, let alone grasped its commercial potential.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
As grippers, two exoskeleton sections grasped delicate items like tomatoes as well as rigid objects like pens.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025
For the outro, Solís and Karol grasped hands and did a sweet dance.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasped
Verb
-
The origin of clemency is understood through the Federalist Papers as a need for mercy in instances when the criminal justice system was too harsh.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The attraction stems from feeling emotionally understood.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The girls stayed with their grandparents in the smallest of ten bahay kubo, traditional bamboo-stilt homes, that hugged a bend of the San Juan and were overgrown with mango and jam fruit trees.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Parents hugged children and quickly cleared them off the bleachers and onto buses.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This neighborhood was not as grand as Harlem proper, but everyone who hung their hat here knew its allure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Prosecutors said Villanueva knew the device qualified as a firearm and destructive device under federal law and that it was not registered.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Each had a sidearm clasped in both hands.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
-
When Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced him, Combs had his head lowered, with his shoulders hunched and his hands clasped.—
Sarah Jones,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Extreme poverty, runaway inflation and political turmoil also gripped Venezuela, with nearly 8 million residents fleeing from 2014 to 2025, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.—
Maeva Bambuck,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
High temperatures climbed into the upper 80s during an unseasonably warm stretch, while a record freeze later gripped the city, impacting residents, infrastructure, and daily life.—
Ricardo B. Brazziell,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Passengers in front and behind us whispered, a few stood up, and some clung to the bars and handles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Though Wisconsin can't claim the first one (New York City and London vie for that accolade), the Badger State has clung to the tradition most wholeheartedly.—
Ron Faiola,
Midwest Living,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Anne-Sofie Madsen took winter footwear in a distinctly subversive direction, collaborating with Ugg on spiky, clawed variations of its classic boot.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Two days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota reportedly tackled a home caregiver from sub-Saharan Africa to the snowy pavement and took her away in a van, a close friend made the 1,400-mile journey to a controversial Texas detention facility where she’s being held.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasped. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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