Thesaurus results for GROPES

gropes

verb

present tense third-person singular of grope

as in fumbles

to search for something blindly or uncertainly she groped in her purse for her car keys groping for the right answer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 gropes In the video, a woman exposes herself and an officer, identified by investigators as Herman, gropes her, police said in a statement last year. — Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gropes

Verb

Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 May 2026

Definition of fumbles

Verb

In only a handful of generations some populations have begun evolving resistance, and the crash many expected to end in the extinction of the species now looks more like an uneasy coexistence.

— John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
There’s a collective anticipation as the audience looks toward the stage.

— Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of looks

Verb

Then, after sunset, attention will turn to the night’s second act as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak beneath perfectly dark, moonless skies.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
According to the company, the system reaches a reduction rate of more than 50 percent, despite operating at significantly lower temperatures than traditional smelting technologies.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026

Definition of reaches

Browse Nearby Words

groped

gropes

groping

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gropes. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gropes

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on gropes

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inveigle

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes