1
as in grips
the act or manner of holding
was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggles
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 wrestles
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 grabs
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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of grapples
Nina-Sophia Miralles, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
The hospitality industry grapples with a challenging post-pandemic recovery and mounting environmental pressures.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
As Hollywood grapples with worries about the threat of artificial intelligence, the union that represents animators is facing dissent over its latest deal with major studios.
—Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Even Gaston himself grapples with body image insecurities.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2024
As the American Southwest grapples with a historic water crisis, some advocacy groups, such as the Glen Canyon Institute (GCI), propose drastic measures like to address the diminishing flow of the Colorado River.
—Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
The move aims to broaden the pool of eligible men as Ukraine grapples with manpower shortages in its nearly three-year conflict with Russia.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
In this case, the lizardfish grapples with a challengingly large doctorfish, its eyes perhaps larger than its mouth.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
The expense comes as Spokane grapples with a general fund deficit of roughly $25 million and around $21 million in depleted reserves.
—Tim Clouser | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
A broad spectrum of genres was on display, from Beth Park’s Wild Animal, a thriller that grapples with postpartum psychosis, to Julia Jackman’s sidesplitting irreverent comedy Pigs, which sees three generations come together to slurp buckets of wine and squabble over a valuable heirloom.
—Nina-Sophia Miralles, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
The hospitality industry grapples with a challenging post-pandemic recovery and mounting environmental pressures.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
As Hollywood grapples with worries about the threat of artificial intelligence, the union that represents animators is facing dissent over its latest deal with major studios.
—Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Even Gaston himself grapples with body image insecurities.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2024
As the American Southwest grapples with a historic water crisis, some advocacy groups, such as the Glen Canyon Institute (GCI), propose drastic measures like to address the diminishing flow of the Colorado River.
—Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
The move aims to broaden the pool of eligible men as Ukraine grapples with manpower shortages in its nearly three-year conflict with Russia.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
In this case, the lizardfish grapples with a challengingly large doctorfish, its eyes perhaps larger than its mouth.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
The expense comes as Spokane grapples with a general fund deficit of roughly $25 million and around $21 million in depleted reserves.
—Tim Clouser | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapples
Verb
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The suspect then grabs a cab to the vicinity of the Hilton Hotel where Thompson would later be killed.Rachel Dobkin, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
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The filtration technology grabs everything from dust to larger objects.Sarah Madaus, Architectural Digest, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Social media has flipped the power dynamic, turning memes into tools for steering these rivalries.Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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Until now, these were business and personal rivalries between some of the richest and most successful people in the world.Clare Duffy, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Other thoughtful gestures could include crafting handmade items, printing a photo that captures your bond or any action that demonstrates time and effort, Ward said.Julianna Bragg, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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The clip captures a group of little penguins, the world's smallest penguin species, waddling back toward the shore on a beach coast in New Zealand.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Elvis Presley lands a multi-genre smash this week in America, showing that even decades after his death, his music remains hugely popular.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
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The film lands an emotional gut punch with its verité filmmaking style while also shining a light on the strains the American justice system can put on families.Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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For those families who consider gift giving a nonnegotiable aspect of the holidays, Ward encourages people to buy something small to avoid confrontations.Julianna Bragg, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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The next conflict to unfreeze could be one that the outside world has all but forgotten—but that has the potential, like Syria, to draw outside powers into confrontations none of them want.Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near grapples
Cite this Entry
“Grapples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapples. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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