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 tick should be grasped as close to the skin's surface as possible and pulled upward with steady, even pressure.
—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
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
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasped
Verb
-
Many of us have long understood that putting your country’s main creative engine inside a techno-dominant machine was probably never going to end well for creativity.
-
For reasons that aren't yet fully understood, the results sometimes differ from previous events.
Verb
-
Though slightly loose, the fabric hugged Gray’s frame.
-
While Banda was catching up with them, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walked up from behind and hugged the reliever.
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.
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
Verb
-
Dominion sued the businessman in 2021, alleging that Lindell knew there was no evidence to support his election conspiracy theories, but used the lies to sell pillows.
-
Their agents also knew this and assuredly would have shared that risk assessment with their clients (especially for Veesaar and Evans, both of whom are repped by The Team — formerly Wasserman — an agency that sent multiple potential first-round picks back to school this draft cycle).
Verb
-
As the service began, it was clasped shut.
-
The Philly duo’s tender, faintly medieval-sounding folk song has its hands clasped and its heart on its sleeve.
Verb
-
Much of the wider region — Nevada, Colorado and beyond — has been gripped by widespread drought after an unusually dry winter.
-
With Utah gripped by one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, state officials have imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, saying the risk of sparking catastrophic new fires is simply too great.
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%.
Verb
-
For the next hour or so, the colors of the canopy shifted, slowly but perceptibly, as the sky clung to its blue and then, after lingering in the inkiest navy for just a few precious minutes, seemed to give it all away.
-
The Pelicans have clung to him tightly, but league sources said New Orleans has been signaling a desire to jump into the first round of next week’s draft.
Cite this Entry
“Grasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasped. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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