1
as in suitcases
a bag carried by hand and designed to hold a traveler's clothing and personal articles
she placed her grip in the train's overhead rack and seated herself comfortably
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in grasps
the act or manner of holding
get a better grip on the lid and try to open the jar again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in understandings
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something
he has a good grip on basic Spanish grammar and spelling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others
a tyrant that keeps the masses tightly in his grip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in handles
a part by which an implement is held
bought new pots with heat-resistant grips
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in clutches
to have or keep in one's hands
gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fascinates
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
that true crime story gripped me as much as any whodunit
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in interests
to hold the attention of
that movie will grip any true sports car fan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in holds
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the baby gripped my fingers and wouldn't let go
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 grips
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Livro and Vico have escaped the grips of the neighborhood gang and are going to work for Ivan, doing maintenance on his yacht.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
The challenge of spending Coming to grips with this changing reality is both financial and emotional.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Either way, regulars are probably coming to grips with a glass-half-empty feeling.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
The controller’s matte finish provides a solid connection to the comfortable palm grips, which are angled to naturally position your thumbs easily over the thumbsticks and face buttons.
—ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
In April 2020, people around the globe were struggling to come to grips with the strictures of unprecedented societal shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
Now, the controls are laid out just like the Steam Deck, only without a huge screen between the left and right grips.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Apr. 2026
But the meagreness of the world befits its protagonists, both of whom become stuck in certain phases after failing to come to grips with their formative traumas.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Fast forward to today and those fears have materialized with dizzying speed as a historic oil and gas crisis sparked by the US and Israel’s war with Iran grips the world.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup challenging the leaders of Silicon Valley, posted a cluster of job openings for specialists in agentic artificial intelligence and other positions, as enthusiasm for the technology that can carry out tasks without human intervention grips China.
—Saritha Rai, Bloomberg, 24 Mar. 2026
The race begins with a rigorous climb up a mountain on skis fitted with a special fabric skin that grips the snow as the athletes sprint uphill.
—Rob Marciano, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
The community held a candlelight vigil to pray for Nancy Guthrie's safe return as the baffling case grips the nation.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
When cold weather grips the South for days on end, the thought of a humid summer gets better and better.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
Rubber backing that no longer grips the floor.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 27 Jan. 2026
This shoe is also outfitted with a high-traction outsole that effectively grips the ground for a stable landing every time.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
Hosmer’s video showed evidence the Red Sox might have been identifying pitch grips from Valdez’s glove and relaying signs to hitters when a runner was on second base.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Livro and Vico have escaped the grips of the neighborhood gang and are going to work for Ivan, doing maintenance on his yacht.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
The challenge of spending Coming to grips with this changing reality is both financial and emotional.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Either way, regulars are probably coming to grips with a glass-half-empty feeling.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
The controller’s matte finish provides a solid connection to the comfortable palm grips, which are angled to naturally position your thumbs easily over the thumbsticks and face buttons.
—ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
In April 2020, people around the globe were struggling to come to grips with the strictures of unprecedented societal shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
Now, the controls are laid out just like the Steam Deck, only without a huge screen between the left and right grips.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Apr. 2026
But the meagreness of the world befits its protagonists, both of whom become stuck in certain phases after failing to come to grips with their formative traumas.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
In one example, the robot grips a can sideways, a simple mistake that could lead to spills, showing that human-like understanding remains limited.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Fast forward to today and those fears have materialized with dizzying speed as a historic oil and gas crisis sparked by the US and Israel’s war with Iran grips the world.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup challenging the leaders of Silicon Valley, posted a cluster of job openings for specialists in agentic artificial intelligence and other positions, as enthusiasm for the technology that can carry out tasks without human intervention grips China.
—Saritha Rai, Bloomberg, 24 Mar. 2026
The race begins with a rigorous climb up a mountain on skis fitted with a special fabric skin that grips the snow as the athletes sprint uphill.
—Rob Marciano, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
The community held a candlelight vigil to pray for Nancy Guthrie's safe return as the baffling case grips the nation.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
When cold weather grips the South for days on end, the thought of a humid summer gets better and better.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
Rubber backing that no longer grips the floor.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 27 Jan. 2026
This shoe is also outfitted with a high-traction outsole that effectively grips the ground for a stable landing every time.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grips
Noun
-
After a group of glamorous bell hops brought out suitcases filled with silver flasks that were handed out to the audience.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
3 May 2026
-
Every other major carrier restricts you to a maximum of 2 or 3 suitcases per ticket.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For example, Connelly of Columbia University mentioned new understandings of the danger surrounding the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The research would have to extend into the professional realm to deepen these burgeoning understandings of how the dark facets of ourselves operate, suggesting even the necessity of the shadow as that might be directing our career choices through the world.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The government has methodically tightened internet censorship and established increasingly stringent controls over online activities, causing rumblings and rare public expressions of discontent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
-
Residential environments currently lack the power density, redundancy, physical security, and environmental controls that enterprise workloads require.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
James Comey gets indicted again, the Pentagon says how much the Iran war has cost taxpayers, and viral trend is removing door handles.—
Jeremy Mikula,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
-
The grab handles, as well as much of the build plate assembly, are covered with plastic, which gives the machine a less-than-premium feel.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Lemann, like the talkative older ladies of her youth, clutches the motifs of her past like talismans.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Martin Short clutches his laptop walking onto set for Jimmy Kimmel Live!—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At the moment, Philadelphia fascinates me most, a Play-In team that has enough talent to make a run to the finals.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Precious artifacts have been recently unearthed from the site that fascinates scholars worldwide.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
But Mary Bennet isn’t the only character in Jane Austen’s novels who Jane Austen gives a bit of a side eye to and that is really what interests me.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
-
What interests me more, however, is where Kneecap get their information.—
Lily Moayeri,
SPIN,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grips.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grips. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
