as in fumbles
to search for something blindly or uncertainly
she groped in her purse for her car keys groping for the right answer
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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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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
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The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
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My yoga jacket looks just like this one, with a similar standup collar and zipper pockets.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
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In pending cases, the court also looks likely to frustrate his attempts to curtail birthright citizenship and remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board.—
Washington Post Editorial Board,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Verb
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This year's May 31 full moon also happens to fall just 19 hours before the moon reaches apogee — the farthest point from Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
30 May 2026
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Swift does manage one very impressive feat this time around, as one of her most beloved – and perhaps most controversial – studio efforts reaches a landmark figure she's only seen once before.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gropes. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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