Definition of gropenext
as in to fumble
to search for something blindly or uncertainly she groped in her purse for her car keys groping for the right answer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 grope Love curated these parties to create a space where patrons don’t have to worry about their drink getting spiked, getting groped in the crowd, or their light being dimmed in any way, Love said. — Zuri Primos july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026 Gooding has been accused of groping dozens of women and pleaded guilty to one count of forcible touching in 2022. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 Franken fake-groped a sleeping woman as a joke, and was then credibly accused of groping numerous women for real. — Katha Pollitt, Washington Post, 10 July 2026 But there’s a savvy 2026 vibe about the way the film refuses to create florid melodrama out of quotidian crisis, and instead observes with generosity as the characters grope awkwardly toward emotional détente and mutual forgiveness. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grope
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grope
Verb
  • Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Irving scored his second touchdown of the game to further the Bucs’ lead, and Prescott wouldn’t even get the ball back after KaVontae Turpin fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which Tampa Bay recovered.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Given it was greenlit by a streamer, this one looks set to work on digital platforms as well as linear TV.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • What was once a contemporary exploration of horror has become a sentimental aesthetic, with this particular version of 2011 looking ironically idealistic because younger viewers never had to live inside it.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • So strong was the Chicks’ commercial pull that their 2002 album Home—a trend-averse acoustic bluegrass album essentially recorded in secret—became a gargantuan hit, with two of its songs reaching the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The banking chief, whose total compensation reached $47 million in 2025, has built an audience of over 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grope.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grope. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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