groped; groping
1
: to feel about blindly or uncertainly in search
grope for the light switch
2
: to look for something blindly or uncertainly
grope for the right words
3
: to feel one's way
groped along the dark passage
groper
noun
plural gropes
: an act of groping
made a grope for the light switch
And what are these clumsy, embarrassing, fumbling encounters if they are not passes, beery gropes in the dark?—
Nick Hornby
Nick HornbySynonyms
Examples of grope in a Sentence
Verb
I groped for the light switch.
She groped around in her purse, looking for her comb.
We groped along the dark passage.
She claims that her boss tried to grope her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Singer Dawn Richard, a member of Danity Kane and later Combs’ group Diddy-Dirty Money, said in a recent lawsuit that between 2009 and 2011 Combs regularly barged into her dressing room at the studio and groped her.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2024
He was arrested in December 2017 on similar charges when former members went to police after seeing Stair grope a 12-year-old in front of his congregation on YouTube.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grope 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Verb
In the complaint, Diddy is accused of masturbating himself while groping the teen during a private one-on-one interview on the first day of auditions.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Singer Dawn Richard, a member of Danity Kane and later Combs’ group Diddy-Dirty Money, said in a recent lawsuit that between 2009 and 2011 Combs regularly barged into her dressing room at the studio and groped her.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
On numerous occasions, under the guise of helping a stylist prepare Richard for performances, Combs would also barge into her changing room unannounced and grope parts of her body without her consent, the lawsuit also alleges.
—Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2024
He was arrested in December 2017 on similar charges when former members went to police after seeing Stair grope a 12-year-old in front of his congregation on YouTube.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grope
Dictionary Entries Near grope
Cite this Entry
“Grope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grope. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grope
verb
groped; groping
1
: to seek by or as if by feeling around uncertainly
groped for the light switch
grope for the right word
2
: to feel one's way by groping
grope along a wall
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share