1
as in wrestled
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
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2
as in grabbed
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
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Recent Examples of grappled
The sport also offers a solution to equity questions that college athletics have long grappled with.
—
Maura Carey, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
In recent weeks, Doncic has grappled with ankle and groin ailments as well; the wear-and-tear of the season emerging just before the All-Star break.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
For Minnesota, which grappled with an affordable child care shortage long before ICE entered the picture, child care has been at the center of the state’s fraud debate and a recent target of heightened immigration enforcement.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
New York — US stocks dropped Thursday, continuing a recent patch of volatility, as Wall Street grappled with persistent nerves about artificial intelligence and economic data showed the labor market weakened over the past two months.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Phillips rose to prominence in the ‘90s for glossy, photorealistic paintings like Below that grappled with sexuality, beauty and the grotesque.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Video of the attack shows that Desmond physically grappled with Silverstone before shooting him.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 4 Feb. 2026
None grappled honestly with intermittency and whole-system reliability.
—Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Kyiv, which has grappled with severe power shortages this winter, is forecast to enter a brutally cold stretch starting Friday that is expected to last into next week.
—Aamer Madhani and Susie Blann The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Maura Carey, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
In recent weeks, Doncic has grappled with ankle and groin ailments as well; the wear-and-tear of the season emerging just before the All-Star break.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
For Minnesota, which grappled with an affordable child care shortage long before ICE entered the picture, child care has been at the center of the state’s fraud debate and a recent target of heightened immigration enforcement.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
New York — US stocks dropped Thursday, continuing a recent patch of volatility, as Wall Street grappled with persistent nerves about artificial intelligence and economic data showed the labor market weakened over the past two months.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Phillips rose to prominence in the ‘90s for glossy, photorealistic paintings like Below that grappled with sexuality, beauty and the grotesque.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Video of the attack shows that Desmond physically grappled with Silverstone before shooting him.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 4 Feb. 2026
None grappled honestly with intermittency and whole-system reliability.
—Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Kyiv, which has grappled with severe power shortages this winter, is forecast to enter a brutally cold stretch starting Friday that is expected to last into next week.
—Aamer Madhani and Susie Blann The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
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The video showing Pretti kicking the back of a vehicle used by agents before being wrestled to the ground was verified by his family through a representative.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
-
A number of agents jumped out and wrestled him to the ground.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Doncic turned to run back up the court and grabbed the back of his left leg.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Jarrett Allen scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder added 11 points in his Cavaliers debut and Keon Ellis had 6 points in his first game with the Cavaliers, who won for the seventh time in eight games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In his first playoff game, a thriller against the Los Angeles Rams, McMillan caught five passes for 81 yards, using his connection with quarterback Bryce Young to get the ball downfield.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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One month after the US carried out an attack in Venezuela to capture its president, civilians in the South American country remain caught between uncertainty and expectations of governmental change.—
CNN 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Authorities have seized more than €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
-
While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Guanipa, 61, was later snatched by a group of men in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas, said Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado, who is not in the country.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Richmond snatched two offensive rebounds to Pringle's three.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ready or not, the Super Bowl’s annual blitz of commercials landed before and during the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots defense-first matchup, with some ads served up in advance while others were unveiled for the first time during the game.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Wearing a shimmery navy one-shoulder dress, Glenn landed her opening triple axel and stayed upright even without a clean landing.—
Brittany Ghiroli,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Without the fear of being captured mid-tear or mid-questionable dance moves, people are quicker to let their guards down and enjoy themselves fully.—
Nikita Khanna,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
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Their work consisted of a neuromorphic sensor that captured the actions of Braille readers.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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