GRAPPLING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

grappling

verb

Definition of grappling

present participle of grapple

as in wrestling

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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as in grabbing

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of grappling The remarks struck a nerve in a country grappling with persistently high youth unemployment and quickly became a rallying cry for a generation that says it feels ignored by those in power. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 At 19, Danitra Grays was grappling with postpartum depression, caring for her newborn daughter, Naiyla, and struggling with anxious thoughts that weighed heavily on her mind. — Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 The mission launched this week with two pod capture tools used for grappling the MEPs or any other object with a grapple fixture. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026 The film is said to follow a repressed philosophy professor who has been grappling with lingering guilt over a decision from his past when the victim suddenly returns to his life. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 July 2026 While Maduro and Flores have awaited trial in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn, their home country has been grappling with a humanitarian disaster following a pair of powerful back-to-back earthquakes in June, killing at least 5,278 people. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 22 July 2026 Business leaders grappling with AI adoption can learn from historical figures like Caliph Harun al-Rashid, who disguised himself to understand his empire. — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 The president celebrated the network’s gas prices just before the busy July 4th travel period as consumers were grappling with higher oil prices sparked by the war with Iran. — Brian Slodysko, Fortune, 20 July 2026 The smoke has been an ongoing issue over the past week, with Marylanders grappling with the poor air quality. — Nicole Pilsbury, Baltimore Sun, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling

Verb

But there’s a difference between narrating crime scenes at a remove and wrestling with the lingering morality of it all.

— Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026
Others can point to the Attitude Era and the Monday Night Wars as some of the most impactful moments that have transcended wrestling itself.

— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026

Definition of wrestling

Verb

Lester, in particular, saw enough growth from Brown and Hecklinski as Gronowski’s understudies to prefer their full-scale competition over grabbing an experienced quarterback but dialing down the offense.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
One of the Palestinians can be seen grabbing the strap of the weapon.

— Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Residents are fighting a proposal to build 192 apartments in seven buildings on a vacant slope near the Oceanside-Vista border just south of state Route 78.

— Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2026
That video cast Perry as a solider fighting battle in wartime scenes.

— Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

According to the American Cancer Society, catching cancer from another person is essentially impossible.

— Dr. Yonathan Daniel, ABC News, 25 July 2026
There are countless things to do in the game, from catching Pals to breeding them to building elaborate bases to exploring the world.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

The aforementioned Löw and Scaloni worked as assistants before seizing the top jobs with their national teams, others – such as Didier Deschamps – have developed that know-how over multiple tournaments before striking gold.

— Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Maduro disrupted her appearances by seizing sound systems or shutting down electricity.

— Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of seizing

Verb

The 30-minute video posted by Pfister of the Zimmerman’s Meat Market incident from earlier this year shows him, his wife, Pam, and another man holding their cameras to the deli’s front window, capturing what was visible inside.

— Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
The United States seized control of Venezuela’s oil revenues after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid in January and securing the cooperation of vice president Delcy Rodríguez.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026

Definition of capturing

Verb

But heading into his final year, Madsen has been working on becoming more adept at getting the ball down the field.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 26 July 2026
Strickland said even getting equipment on the road during construction can be difficult for farmers.

— Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2026