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
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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
Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
This comes as Oklahoma, which is considered a child care desert, faces a shortage of qualified workers and lawmakers continue to grapple with finding solutions.
—Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice, 8 Jan. 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.
—Verb
Jennifer Ferguson stood on the front step of her Waldo home on the south side of Kansas City Thursday and grappled with her former neighbor’s sudden place in the national spotlight.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
Noun
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But in the second season of the series, which wrapped last Sunday, a new sense of uncertainty, reflection, and maturity grips the central characters, making for even better television.—
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Tips For Using Tension Rods Before installing, make sure to clean the surfaces your rods will be in contact with to remove any oils, dust, and dirt that can affect the rod’s grip.—
Noun
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His struggles are hurting the Broncos in the biggest moments, too.—
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After all, there are signs that the economy is improving (unemployment and inflation are declining), but after the economic struggles of recent years, and with household debt still high, an additional financing source won't hurt, either.—
Verb
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The Frenchman wrestled an awful Alpine to 11 Q3 appearances in 2025 and brought in 100 percent of his team’s points.—
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For decades, Sarasota County leaders have wrestled with the idea of reopening Midnight Pass, an inlet that split Siesta and Casey keys until its closure in 1983.—
Verb
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Tri-State Fishing and Outdoor Show Don your camo gear and grab your fishing poles for the Tri-State Fishing and Outdoor Show.—
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The suspects, seen grabbing armfuls of merchandise during multiple rounds of theft, reportedly fled in a U-Haul truck, Lower Merion Police told Fox 29 Philadelphia.—
Noun
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On a third-and-4 from the 50-yard line with just under nine minutes left, Jackson avoided the grasp of pass rushers Alex Highsmith and Keeanu Benton, reset and floated a pass to Zay Flowers behind the secondary to give the Ravens a 17-13 lead.—
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His service at the Dicastery indicated a grasp of Vatican bureaucracy and reflected the trust Francis had placed in him.—
Noun
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With a high-stakes battle for the 2026 midterms looming, the Evergreen State appears poised to join the trend of states using congressional redistricting for partisan advantage.—
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Rattler won the quarterback battle in training camp over Shough, but after going 1-7, Moore made the switch to his rookie.—
Verb
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Through the air, their pass-catching group is one of the worst in the playoffs.—
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Eleven days after the courthouse escape, Hollywood police caught Braddy breaking into a store, the Herald archives say.—
Noun
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The hold was strong enough to cause apparent bruises on her neck.—
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American companies won’t invest without a better sense of what Venezuela’s future holds.—
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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