as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
a grasping person who would rather buy a car he didn't need than give a dime to charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
to have a practical understanding of
he just doesn't grasp how important it is that he call when he'll be late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clasping
to put one's arms around and press tightly
the departing soldier grasped his children a little closer than usual
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in holding
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the attendant grasped my arm and steered me towards the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
the emergency operator finally grasped what he was trying to tell her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grasping
Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Adjective
The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping?
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasping
Adjective
-
Yearning for physical perfection—encouraged by a greedy beauty culture intent on feeding it—is a debilitating waste of energy.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
28 Mar. 2025
-
In 1545, Spanish colonizers greedy for precious metals established a mining town named Potosí in current-day Bolivia, more than 13,000 feet high, at the foot of a mountain that was rumored to be made of silver.—
Tim Vernimmen,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Shakespeare, affectionately known as ‘Two Balls Shakey’ because of his penchant for holding a ball under each arm in training and during warm-up drills, contributed hugely to two promotions from League One in 2009 and the Championship in 2014, the great escape of 2015 and the 5000-1 title success.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Waterproof mascaras rely on film-forming copolymers, which help with flexibility, holding the eyelash's curl, and boosting temperature resistance.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The test kitchen concept is one that Milo's is eager to share with the community and their biggest fans.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
18 Mar. 2025
-
The fictional couple’s dynamic was one of the most compelling elements of the original series, and fans will be eager to see how their story unfolds in the new chapter.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The prominent credit-card swiper offers 15 minutes for the high price of $15, and the show follows up on the Gemstones’ mercenary shamelessness later when someone working the telethon phone bank asks for a donor’s routing number.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Vladimir Putin has relied on mercenary and convict soldiers, combined with lavish bonuses for poor Russians who volunteer to try their luck against killer Ukrainian robots on the steppe.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For a very long time, other nations have been sizing up California with a covetous eye.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Infinite Reality, which is building a headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was founded in 2019 and has been acquisitive in recent months, buying companies such as the Drone Racing League, Landvault and virtual reality retail brand Obsess.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Fremantle was incredibly acquisitive around three years back but its only big M&A deal in the past year has been Red Planet maker Asacha and Beach House, although these were splashy.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
There is an obvious tension between celebrating the city’s birthday and recognizing the painful and violent genocide that paved way for the city’s formation.—
Joe Baker,
New York Daily News,
28 Dec. 2024
-
As a result, men are the default for everything from calculating drug doses to recognizing heart attack symptoms to designing and testing car safety features.—
Eva Epker,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Pearce plays Van Buren as hungry and avaricious even in his kinder moments, a man of immense wealth whose primary desire is to own more and more.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasping. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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