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
And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.
—
Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
American has grasped that this will be a tournament when travel is experienced through friction as much as glamour, and that a brand which removes the challenges is remembered differently.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Maybe soccer has a world of fans who haven’t quite grasped this new-money concept.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
His survival so far depended on the passion of people who may not have grasped how grave his situation was.
—Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
That extra time doesn't necessarily result in the struggling student performing better than the student who grasped the assignment more quickly.
—Ariel Gilreath, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
As a younger player, James grasped that the fundamentals were paramount.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 20 Apr. 2026
Brooke said moments during filming forced her to confront lingering insecurities about whether her father ever fully grasped her independence and success.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche grasped the radical implications of this view.
—James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
American has grasped that this will be a tournament when travel is experienced through friction as much as glamour, and that a brand which removes the challenges is remembered differently.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Maybe soccer has a world of fans who haven’t quite grasped this new-money concept.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
His survival so far depended on the passion of people who may not have grasped how grave his situation was.
—Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
That extra time doesn't necessarily result in the struggling student performing better than the student who grasped the assignment more quickly.
—Ariel Gilreath, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
As a younger player, James grasped that the fundamentals were paramount.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 20 Apr. 2026
Brooke said moments during filming forced her to confront lingering insecurities about whether her father ever fully grasped her independence and success.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche grasped the radical implications of this view.
—James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasped
Verb
-
In an event that lasted three hours and ended with an extended standing ovation, both Democrats and Republicans stood to praise Looney as a wise colleague who understood the history of the institution of the state legislature.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
-
As warming increases sea ice temperatures, the mechanical properties shift in ways that aren’t yet fully understood.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Renewing acquaintances in April, when the Giants visited San Diego this season for the first time, Preller chatted him up and hugged him.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance and were hugged by a group of workers who cried in joy.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 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
-
Everyone in town knew about my mother but most of my friends and their parents had never met her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Detectives subsequently went door to door at every apartment in the complex looking for anyone who knew Samuel.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
With the entire circumference surrounded by a sea of humanity, Bishnoi hung back, her hands clasped in front of her mouth, while Rai went and lofted the Wanamaker Trophy above his head.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
Hands clasped, head bowed, blank and fair of face.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
War came in the summer of 1914 because of the all-encompassing fear that had gripped many Great Power leaders, looking for signs that they would be attacked.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
We are gripped by financial worry, social decay and political disagreement at a time of deep polarization and alienation.—
Tara Sonenshine,
Baltimore Sun,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The company expects a little more of an impact in its Q2, but Cook said it’s fully comprehended in the above Street outlook of 48% to 49%.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His arm steadied his mother, Gaye, who clung to flowers.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
25 May 2026
-
And the Red Sox, who clung to a one-run lead for most of the night before finally breaking through in a big way in the eighth and ninth, won the series with a resounding 7-1 victory.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasped. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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