as in fumbling
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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Recent Examples of groping
Sheriff got into a tussle with his killer after the stranger started drunkenly groping women, including the victim’s girlfriend, according to Fawaz.
—
Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
All the incidents occurred near the Point Richmond tunnel, and all involved him either groping the victims or attempting to pull off their clothes, police said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Patients accused Heaps of groping them, performing unnecessarily invasive examinations and making suggestive comments.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
After literally years of groping around in the dark, Brazil do, at least, have the makings of a plan under Ancelotti.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Busfield is accused of groping a 16-year-old girl who was auditioning for a role at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, according to a prosecution filing.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026
The current warrant affidavit, which references the Little Big League incident, also cited other prior accusations, including a 2012 groping allegation in Los Angeles.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Everyone—libidinous kids and adults alike—is alienated and groping for distraction, until tragedy strikes.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
Among his convictions, Rahab was convicted of groping the butts of at least three different women and a 15-year-old girl in 2023.
—Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Nov. 2025
Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
All the incidents occurred near the Point Richmond tunnel, and all involved him either groping the victims or attempting to pull off their clothes, police said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Patients accused Heaps of groping them, performing unnecessarily invasive examinations and making suggestive comments.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
After literally years of groping around in the dark, Brazil do, at least, have the makings of a plan under Ancelotti.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Busfield is accused of groping a 16-year-old girl who was auditioning for a role at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, according to a prosecution filing.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026
The current warrant affidavit, which references the Little Big League incident, also cited other prior accusations, including a 2012 groping allegation in Los Angeles.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Everyone—libidinous kids and adults alike—is alienated and groping for distraction, until tragedy strikes.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
Among his convictions, Rahab was convicted of groping the butts of at least three different women and a 15-year-old girl in 2023.
—Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for groping
Verb
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Gibson rushed for 1,000 yards in his second season, then suffered from fumbling issues over his final years with the Commanders.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
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But Illinois is at risk of fumbling this opportunity.—
Susana A. Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Boston now, that means looking at the huge mountains of dirty snow and Wu’s smiling proclamation that snow is fun and accepting both beliefs.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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If the answer isn’t clear and straightforward, keep looking.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Groping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groping. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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