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
The correct response cannot be grasped, only meditated upon in the way of a koan used to train Zen Buddhist monks and force them into enlightenment.
—
Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Walt Whitman grasped that something entirely different was called for.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
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
Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Walt Whitman grasped that something entirely different was called for.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasped
Verb
-
Everybody has an accent, including you, and depending on who’s listening, a person may not be understood.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
-
These have yielded Crave comedy Slo Pitch from Page Boy, while more details from the series coming from Seth Rogen’s Point Great via its deal with Lionsgate are understood to be coming soon.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Daughter discusses case Amanda Hundley, one of Smith’s daughters, hugged her mother outside the courthouse in March.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
-
All of us, too sensitive in my favorite ways, skin pulled back from our bones, hugged in a group and wept without words.—
Lindsay Calleran,
IndieWire,
4 June 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
-
No other information was released on Wednesday, including whether the two men knew each other.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
Soho was already too expensive — landlords were asking for key money in the five-figures — so Mango knew that was a dead end.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Alansari was gripped by the tournament and attended 23 games in total, including the final, while Alyafei treated his family to tickets.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
As the midnight adjournment deadline approached on the final night of Illinois’ 1988 spring legislative session, a sense of pressure gripped the Statehouse.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 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
-
The Spurs clung to a seven-point lead at halftime, setting up a back-and-forth second half and a tight fourth quarter.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
The conflict dated back to 2012, but both sides clung to the animosity.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasped. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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