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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grapple
NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Has anyone ever seen a mummy grapple?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
In addition to fiscal challenges, the district has been grappling with the indictment of former superintendent Devon Horton, who is facing federal charges, along with three of his associates, for wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.
—Alexandra Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Noun
The matches are intense, with powerful throws and strategic grapples, and the crowd's energy adds to the electric atmosphere.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Has anyone ever seen a mummy grapple?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Their chances of extending that record looked over after 16 minutes, though, when Diaz tumbled in the box after grappling with Kevin Akpoguma.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
In addition to fiscal challenges, the district has been grappling with the indictment of former superintendent Devon Horton, who is facing federal charges, along with three of his associates, for wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.
—Alexandra Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
-
The hand will feel sore or weak, struggling with grip.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
As the rock glided down the ice sheet, Casper and his teammates slowly started to come to grips with the reality of the situation.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If Grosz’s first book, The Examined Life, was all about his patients’ personal lives and struggles, Love’s Labor—which is written in a similar way, as a series of case studies—is much more interested in his patients’ approach to love, specifically.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … ROYAL RECKONING – Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie struggle with fallout from latest Epstein doc drop.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The question is whether leaders are willing to use them not as stages, but as workshops for ideas, as places to wrestle honestly with the hardest questions and decisions of our time.—
Alan H.H. Fleischmann,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Freedom wrestled without two starters but still managed to score its first FHSAA duals wrestling state quarterfinal victory against Wellington on Friday.—
Steve Gorches,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Similarly, Bad Bunny also stopped at a piraguas cart recreation and briefly grabbed a frozen dessert.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These days, he is widely regarded as having the finest facility with metrical forms of any poet of his generation—a grasp of prosody both perfect and unpredictable, as if the complex metronome of that turbulent coastline ticked on within him.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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No researcher seems to have a firm grasp on how big the industry is.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The star of the cache was a near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, or carnyx — used to blare eerie sounds in battle and rally troops against the enemy.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Alain Hamel is credited with catching the giant flatfish, which was pulled through the ice after a two-and-a-half hour battle.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Van Der Beek spoke with USA TODAY in August 2025 about the importance of catching it early.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Local officials were caught off guard.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Elon Musk is putting his dreams of colonizing Mars on hold.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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The lawsuit is currently on a temporary hold as the two parties recently entered into arbitration.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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