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
Mayor Vi Lyles announced her surprise resignation in May as the city grappled with generation-defining decisions.
—
Nick Sullivan
july 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2026
Chatrie and the Supreme Court For decades, the court has grappled with law enforcement’s use of technologies to track the location of people or things.
—
Anne Toomey McKenna,
The Conversation,
30 June 2026
South Africa already hiked its interest rate by 25 -basis points last month, as policymakers grappled with the global energy shock.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 June 2026
Sometimes exacerbated by empty downtowns, both European and North American cities have grappled with a rise in homelessness, crime and littering.
—
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Throughout the season, the cheerleaders grappled with their newfound fame while adhering to a strict set of rules that have been in place since the 1970s.
—
Emma Banks,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
His successors have all grappled, largely unsuccessfully, with the consequences of that rupture.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
He's grappled with substance abuse issues, a good dose of Mommy issues and there's some Daddy issues sprinkled in, too.
—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Fosdick was part of the modernist movement in American Protestantism, which grappled with the implications of evolution and with new scholarship about the Bible’s origins.
—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Nick Sullivan
july 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2026
Chatrie and the Supreme Court For decades, the court has grappled with law enforcement’s use of technologies to track the location of people or things.
—
Anne Toomey McKenna,
The Conversation,
30 June 2026
South Africa already hiked its interest rate by 25 -basis points last month, as policymakers grappled with the global energy shock.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 June 2026
Sometimes exacerbated by empty downtowns, both European and North American cities have grappled with a rise in homelessness, crime and littering.
—
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Throughout the season, the cheerleaders grappled with their newfound fame while adhering to a strict set of rules that have been in place since the 1970s.
—
Emma Banks,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
His successors have all grappled, largely unsuccessfully, with the consequences of that rupture.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
He's grappled with substance abuse issues, a good dose of Mommy issues and there's some Daddy issues sprinkled in, too.
—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Fosdick was part of the modernist movement in American Protestantism, which grappled with the implications of evolution and with new scholarship about the Bible’s origins.
—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
Verb
-
While both parties have long wrestled with warring factions in their ranks, the ideological rift is on full display this year, especially among Democrats, as democratic socialists test just how far to the left voters are willing to go.
-
State leaders have long wrestled with how to divvy up the Deschutes Basin in the face of increasing drought, booming population and growing demand.
Verb
-
When Kennedy approached the rider and grabbed the handlebars to check whether the bike was registered, the rider refused to get off and allegedly tried to pull away.
-
Maura Higgins, breakout star of The Traitors, grabbed her best tennis whites to ace the style assignment at Wimbledon 2026.
Verb
-
While once exclusive to skateboarders for their ease of movement, thanks to a crop of particular designers’ spring/summer 2026 collections—from Dries Van Noten, to Khaite and TWP—they’ve caught the eye of the fashion set, too.
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The circular logic of it would be darkly comic if tens of thousands of livelihoods weren't caught in the middle.
Verb
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Merchandise including counterfeit perfumes, Rolex watches, knockoff Knicks apparel, sunglasses, electronics and Labubus were seized, in addition to $145,000 in cash, police said.
-
Barely six months ago, US special forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas in a daring and deadly raid.
Verb
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Your rich location history and device data get snatched up regularly in such fences by private companies; your present and past self travels through them constantly.
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But the fear of being snatched by ICE agents remains, Neel said.
Verb
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The Emmy-winning host and executive producer of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has landed a guest role on General Hospital, appearing in a three-episode arc that'll air on July 2, 3 and 6 on ABC.
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During Friday's public feeding, a butterfly landed on one of the group members, whose mother had recently died.
Verb
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The beautiful Grace Kelly captured the world's attention and imagination (and still does) for decades, but no one was more enamored by the actress than Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
-
The exchange was captured by Redman’s body camera footage during a stop involving immigrants.
Cite this Entry
“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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