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
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Example Sentences
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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
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gropes
Verb
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Sonny feels like a departure; unlike Bernthal’s mercenaries, Sonny fumbles with his gun, has a bleeding heart, and lays his vulnerabilities bare.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2026
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The Seahawks are a high-turnover team on both sides of the ball, but the 49ers have forced just two takeaways in the season series — both fumbles in the opener.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The name on the front of the shirt looks too small, like it could’ve been bumped up to a larger font.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Without the three mega-rounds, however, venture activity looks far more ordinary.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
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Stevens is on the driver's side and reaches toward the door.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gropes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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