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
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The grasping big toe also suggested this human relative spent more time in the trees.
—CBS News, 26 Nov. 2025
The father, Fyodor Karamazov, is a grasping, lecherous, deceitful, and shameless widower.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Designing a robotic hand capable of both grasping and crawling required tightly integrating mechanical design with control and planning.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 Jan. 2026
Paleontologists think this is likely because Najash’s legs offered functional advantages early on, perhaps for anchoring during burrowing or grasping prey.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
In this war lawyers invariably are depicted as soulless and grasping ambulance-chasers unconcerned about their clients’ welfare, and businesses as, well, soulless, grasping and unconcerned about their customers.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
But Taylor, who studies how the internet interacts with culture, says the rise of vagueposting coincides with a public discontent with just how grasping social media has become.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026
After signing with the Broncos in 2025, he’s just been focused on grasping a newfound status as a captain.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
Pluck the small peaches off the branch by grasping a fruit’s stem firmly near the branch and twisting it off with a quick motion.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
Sturridge’s hand shoots up from the murk, grasping the air and slapping the planks before his body follows.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
Adjective
In this war lawyers invariably are depicted as soulless and grasping ambulance-chasers unconcerned about their clients’ welfare, and businesses as, well, soulless, grasping and unconcerned about their customers.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The grasping big toe also suggested this human relative spent more time in the trees.
—CBS News, 26 Nov. 2025
The father, Fyodor Karamazov, is a grasping, lecherous, deceitful, and shameless widower.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
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
For humans, that would look like holding a ball in your palm while simultaneously grasping a piece of fruit on the back of your hand.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Designing a robotic hand capable of both grasping and crawling required tightly integrating mechanical design with control and planning.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 Jan. 2026
Paleontologists think this is likely because Najash’s legs offered functional advantages early on, perhaps for anchoring during burrowing or grasping prey.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
In this war lawyers invariably are depicted as soulless and grasping ambulance-chasers unconcerned about their clients’ welfare, and businesses as, well, soulless, grasping and unconcerned about their customers.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
But Taylor, who studies how the internet interacts with culture, says the rise of vagueposting coincides with a public discontent with just how grasping social media has become.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026
After signing with the Broncos in 2025, he’s just been focused on grasping a newfound status as a captain.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
Pluck the small peaches off the branch by grasping a fruit’s stem firmly near the branch and twisting it off with a quick motion.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
Sturridge’s hand shoots up from the murk, grasping the air and slapping the planks before his body follows.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasping
Adjective
-
The song is a painfully cynical look at music fandom, the record industry, and how tragic deaths are exploited for cash by greedy executives.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Carrey portrays Ebenezer Scrooge, a cantankerous, greedy old man visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him the error of his ways.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The key to making the right decision is understanding all your options beforehand.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
His perspective positions the next wave of transformation not around deeper analysis, but around autonomous action, systems capable of understanding situations, deciding optimal responses, and executing those responses in real time.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After the speakers concluded, the crowd lingered, hugging and clasping hands before police announced the parking lot would be closed.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Flex your left knee at a 90-degree angle and place the rope around the mid-foot, clasping the rope with the right hand.—
Gerard Hartmann,
Outside,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Judges have criticized them for holding immigrants without bond, deporting them without hearings, and now, forcing their way into private homes without a warrant signed by a judge.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Surveillance footage from outside the store shows the deputy pinning Graham to the ground and holding him by the neck with his legs as Graham continued to fight back.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Low-resolution Surveying involves gathering surface-level information about a wide variety of topics—knowing a little about a lot of stuff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
That includes knowing when to let go of something that no longer serves you.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Anya’s friends were the ones headed for the East Coast, some even to Ivy League schools, eager to leave behind the frivolity of Los Angeles.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The success of similar downtown projects like 70 Vestry, 140 Jane and 150 Charles have also made buyers more eager to sign contracts.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
They had been caught hugging and kissing in a public bathroom.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
From there the trail angles towards Wasson, hugging first one side of the high shoulder and then the other.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During the ceremony, the politics of the moment were not ignored, with several award winners using the stage to speak out against the aggressive immigration enforcement that’s gripping the country.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Reyes worries the winter storm gripping North Texas will have serious consequences for her finances.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasping. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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