1
as in grip
the act or manner of holding
was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
after a grapple with his conscience, he confessed to having an affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery
two sumo wrestlers grappling like a pair of mammoth bears
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
a crane grappled the sunken boat and hoisted it above water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 grapple
Melissa Noel, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Uncertain but Unified Future for Korea’s Year-End Celebrations As the country and entertainment industry grapples with the tragedy, the status of major year-end events remains uncertain.
—Jeff Benjamin, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration announced a barrage of sanctions against the behemoth Sinaloa cartel, as the White House grapples with controlling the deadly threat posed by Mexican drug cartels.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
The National Weather Service warned that critical fire risks persist, as Southern California grapples with historic drought conditions.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Uncertain but Unified Future for Korea’s Year-End Celebrations As the country and entertainment industry grapples with the tragedy, the status of major year-end events remains uncertain.
—Jeff Benjamin, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
The coming-of-age story finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration announced a barrage of sanctions against the behemoth Sinaloa cartel, as the White House grapples with controlling the deadly threat posed by Mexican drug cartels.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
-
Speaking of the ocean, this formula blends deep sea plant extracts with rice bran for antioxidant properties, with polymers and mineral powders for grip and makeup’s overall staying power.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Now, companies are betting that machines can tackle a wider range of tasks by mimicking the ways that people walk, bend, twist, reach, grip and generally get things done.—
Cade Metz,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Not having to make payments might be a relief to those who are experiencing any financial struggles.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2025
-
As much as anything tactical, Guardiola also has to pick the players that are in any kind of form and that has been the bigger challenge for a lot of this season, considering the struggles of De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden, Bernardo, Kovacic, etc.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This declaration of wrestling royalty hits many fans strongly.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Paulie eventually wrestles control of it, but not before Reacher can plug the barrel with a bullet.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
There was not a vast gulf between the teams on Saturday but Wolves had the edge in terms of quality, none more so than substitute Pablo Sarabia, who stepped off the bench to grab a goal and an assist with an ice-cool finish and a clever pass for Strand Larsen.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Roberts grabbed eight boards vs. Gonzaga in the round of 32, 12 vs. Purdue in the Sweet 16 and 12 more vs. Duke in the Final Four.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On a windy, wet and dreary afternoon at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, the Dodgers twice watched a lead slip frustratingly from their grasp.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
That means inflation at the least, and most people have a recent grasp on what that means to their cost of living.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, Nicolas Cage Pay Tribute to Actor By the time the sequel was filmed and finally came out — there were COVID delays as Tom Cruise (rightly) insisted on a theatrical release — Kilmer was quite deep into his battle with throat cancer.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
-
And maybe the downfall is that Lex has decided what's right between those two and which should win out, whereas Superman and Lois are in a constant battle about what is right, so they each get checked by the other.—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But the damage can be reversible if caught early enough.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
For annuals, catching weeds early can mean the difference between a handful of weeds and thousands of seedlings.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Other tariffs—including 24% on Japan, 25% on South Korea, 20% on the European Union—are on hold for 90 days to allow for trade talks.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Following the Mar-a-Lago dinner, the White House reversed course on H20 chips, putting the plan for additional restrictions on hold, according to two sources with knowledge of the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share