grasped

past tense of grasp
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
3
4

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 grasped The offensive linemen and running backs have spent more time together in the film room to ensure each responsibility — and the why behind it — is collectively grasped. Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 Arms stretched wide and his eyes popping even wider, the ball grasped tightly in his left hand, Boise State fifth-year cornerback A’Marion McCoy soaked in the cheers. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025 When conservative activists first tried to make noise about changing the culture of television, executives quickly grasped their agenda and its dangers. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025 As a pro, his best play came last season as the Ducks grasped strings at the fringes of a playoff race. Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025 Strangers weren’t a concept that Jayce grasped very well, his family said. Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025 The Reformation’s possibilities, as well as its limits, cannot be grasped without an understanding of the Peasants’ War as the giant trauma at its center. Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025 Having fully grasped Prodigy’s manipulations, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and the hybrids weaponize their synth bodies, along with her nifty new ability to command Xenomorphs, to seize control of Neverland. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025 This thoughtful composition from Yang Bo was taken in the sky over Nanjing, China during totality, creating the illusion that the blood moon is being grasped in the claw of a vast stone dragon. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasped
Verb
  • Laughter from the crowd breaks the tension of what could have been understood as metaphor for Netanyahu’s actions.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Jane Goodall and her friend saw strangers in a jungle, reached out their hands, and began a friendship that changed how humans understood our place in the world.
    Scott Simon, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When it was announced that Hilaria had made it through to the next week, Alec cheered and hugged one of their kids in celebration.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Survivors gathered at the reunification center and hugged each other in tears.
    Holly Yan, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
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
  • Then one day, the teacher asked if anyone knew about the Holocaust.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The parents of Krysta Tsukahara allege that the company that helped Elon Musk become the world’s richest man knew about the flaw for years and could have moved fast to fix the problem but did not, leaving the 19-year-old arts student trapped amid flames and smoke that eventually killed her.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The rapper sat with his hands clasped and his eyes downcast as the sentence was ready out at a federal court in Manhattan on Friday.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • When Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced him, Combs had his head lowered, with his shoulders hunched and his hands clasped.
    Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Lecornu’s resignation underscores the paralysis that has gripped France since those inconclusive 2024 elections left no party with an outright majority.
    Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
  • But local officials have suggested that many of his claims and social media posts appear to rely on images from 2020, when demonstrations and unrest gripped the city following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Toronto clung on to a 2-1 lead.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The companies and funds that act with courage now will be remembered as bold and pioneering, versus as a group that clung to short-term safety.
    Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Police also allege Jonathan Arfsten, 49, took copper from two other closed Pick ‘n Save locations in Milwaukee and one in Glendale.
    Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The Broncos took possession at the 5-minute mark in the second half, converted one third down and then were stopped one yard shy on their next third down.
    Zach Berman, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasped. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on grasped

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!