grappled

verb

past tense of grapple
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

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 grappled Tufts saw Clancy 14 times between September 2022 to January 2023, repeatedly adjusting her prescriptions as Clancy grappled with anxiety, depression and insomnia. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 Why this is the case is the essential mystery geomorphologists have grappled with ever since. — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 It was built in the 1920s, when Washington was transformed by ambitious construction projects, even as the nation grappled with political division, racial conflict and clashes between religion and secularism. — Jennifer Tucker, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026 The finding is not new — Yolo County agencies have for years grappled with how best to support their rural fire departments. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 In their grief, Schreiber’s family has turned to the questions Jake grappled with his whole life. — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Federal and state policymakers have grappled with these questions for over a decade, particularly following the rise of gig work and the economic disruptions of the pandemic. — Maria Flynn, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 The country has also grappled with several impactful drug shortages in recent years. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 23 July 2026 Like Locke, Heartstopper — in which her character grappled with body dysphoria and its impacts on her relationship with Tao Xu (William Gao) — was Finney’s first screen role ever. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled
  1. wrestled
  2. grabbed
  3. caught
  4. seized
  5. snatched
  6. landed
  7. captured
Verb
  • Police wrestled him down, and Fauci, dressed in his white lab coat, bolted downstairs.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And while Frog in Boiling Water wrestled with political anxiety and environmental collapse, ZIRP!
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrestled
Verb
  • Reyes allegedly grabbed her by the hair and started to punch her multiple times.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Soon after, the Macklowe Gallery owners sold that place and grabbed a rental across from Lincoln Center, spending their time traveling, working, and enjoying a wonderfully free, untethered life.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Tristan Gunn caught the touchdown pass, and back-up quarterback Cade DePriest also had a touchdown pass to Smith Lessard.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The first pick of the second round caught seven passes for 63 yards on his three drives, including two impressive catches on the TD drive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of caught
Verb
  • President Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from Suu Kyi’s civilian government, has been trying to win political legitimacy since the takeover and resume relations with ASEAN.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Attacks could draw retaliation and reignite Yemen’s war Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government into exile.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • The toddler son of national hero Charles Lindbergh was snatched from his bed in his parents’ home in the middle of the night.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Questions about his age and passing ability may have led teams to skip King during the draft in April, but the Panthers snatched him up in free agency immediately afterward.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of snatched
Verb
  • The missile landed in the waters of North Korea's east coast.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The glass fell over and the wine shot out with such force and landed squarely on the FACE of one of television’s greatest actresses —Rhea Seehorn.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of landed
Verb
  • Body cameras captured the moments Rialto police officers rushed to save a choking 3-year-old child last week.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Some diligently blur out the faces of guests who are in the vicinity and captured on camera.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of captured

Browse Nearby Words

grapple
grappled
grappled (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of grappled for Spanish Speakers

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