as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
a grasping person who would rather buy a car he didn't need than give a dime to charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clasping
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 holding
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 knowing
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 grasping
Natan Linder, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping?
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
New research published Thursday shows that octopuses have the ability to use any of their eight limbs to perform tasks like reaching, tiptoeing or grasping.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
What lies beneath the surface is hardly a starting point for grasping the breadth and enduring impact of each work.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
From high-stakes official visits to personal trips, understanding where leaders go, and why, is crucial to grasping the evolving landscape of international diplomacy.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
The difference here is how explicitly that tragedy appears, whereas the director built much of her best work on nuance and suggestion — on the viewer experiencing events rather than fully grasping them.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Paddles flashed almost in unison as the riders grasping them made their way down to the river side of the sandbar.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Can any country lay claim to grasping that just-right balance of luxury and indulgence better than Italy?
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet, the fruit carries a broader meaning as well, as the Christ child also intimately interacts with it, grasping and contemplating it.
—Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Engineers still struggle to replicate a grasping human hand, or the hand-eye coordination of a human brain.
—Natan Linder, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping?
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Verb
The old reservoir flicked at the edge of my consciousness—like hearing your parents fighting but not grasping the stakes.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
New research published Thursday shows that octopuses have the ability to use any of their eight limbs to perform tasks like reaching, tiptoeing or grasping.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
What lies beneath the surface is hardly a starting point for grasping the breadth and enduring impact of each work.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
From high-stakes official visits to personal trips, understanding where leaders go, and why, is crucial to grasping the evolving landscape of international diplomacy.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
The difference here is how explicitly that tragedy appears, whereas the director built much of her best work on nuance and suggestion — on the viewer experiencing events rather than fully grasping them.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Paddles flashed almost in unison as the riders grasping them made their way down to the river side of the sandbar.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Can any country lay claim to grasping that just-right balance of luxury and indulgence better than Italy?
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet, the fruit carries a broader meaning as well, as the Christ child also intimately interacts with it, grasping and contemplating it.
—Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasping
Adjective
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Polaha plays Dick Hall, the president of Meridian Mortgage who is taken hostage by Tony Kiritsis (Ribisi), who publicly accuses him on being a greedy and cutthroat monster.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Left-wing antisemitism, which cast Jews as greedy capitalists, existed as well, especially in France, but Jew-baiting remained primarily a right-wing pursuit, the work of illiberal nativists who saw a tiny minority as polluting the purity of their racial or religious communities.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jonathan Kitchen | Digitalvision | Getty Images Companies are throwing lots of money into artificial intelligence tools and services, particularly agentic AI, in many cases without truly understanding what these offerings actually do.—
Bob Violino,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
-
This can be thought of as understanding the general patterns of life in the universe.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Next page, clasping hands with Schweitzer in her satin, white wedding dress with a rose bouquet.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
-
After arriving on the scene, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ran toward the sanctuary and was later seen clasping his hands outside on the church steps.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Patriots' defense has been solid, holding opponents to under 100 rushing yards in each of their first three games, but the offense must improve to support the defense.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit further alleges that the airlines manipulated and abused the arrival rate system at DCA airport to force more arrivals per hour, despite knowing that doing so would reduce safety margins.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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The price point is steep, especially knowing that there aren’t easier care instructions or colors to choose from for those who like an eclectic bedspread.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Practitioners are eager to see how much truth there is to this report and to evaluate the details to best advise their clients.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
For nations eager to keep battery value chains local, that matters.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another image included the couple hugging each other in front of a food truck.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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They’re made of recycled polyester and spandex, and feature a body-hugging waistband for all-day comfort.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Herzog’s script dispenses with anything extraneous to driving the story forward, and that makes the conflict gripping, as do the invariably outstanding performances.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
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There’s a lot of conversations to be had with townspeople and the guardians, although very little of it is gripping.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasping. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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