1
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
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2
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of grappling
Leaders grappling with technological upheaval, political change, economic uncertainty, and shifting societal norms may be tempted to seek novel solutions.
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Gena Cox, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
That loss of sensation is often more profound than many breast cancer patients can initially comprehend while grappling with a life-changing illness.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
In The Hunger Games, Collins transports us to the dystopian realm of Panem, a North American nation characterized by the greedy Capitol and 13 districts grappling with poverty.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024
Yoon's martial law decree and parliamentary impeachment have triggered a political storm, disrupting state affairs, halting high-level diplomacy and sending shockwaves through financial markets at a time when the country was already grappling with a faltering economy.
—Kim Tong-Hyung The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grappling 
Gena Cox, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
That loss of sensation is often more profound than many breast cancer patients can initially comprehend while grappling with a life-changing illness.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
In The Hunger Games, Collins transports us to the dystopian realm of Panem, a North American nation characterized by the greedy Capitol and 13 districts grappling with poverty.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024
Yoon's martial law decree and parliamentary impeachment have triggered a political storm, disrupting state affairs, halting high-level diplomacy and sending shockwaves through financial markets at a time when the country was already grappling with a faltering economy.
—Kim Tong-Hyung The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grappling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling
Verb
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That committee has been meeting since last year, wrestling with an array of controversial questions, and is not expected to issue its recommendations until mid-December.Alexander Tin, CBS News, 27 Nov. 2024
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Scientists are still wrestling with one of the most basic questions in biology, according to Manasvi Lingam, a planetary scientist at the Florida Institute of Technology.Joel Achenbach, arkansasonline.com, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II’s sack on the next snap was negated by a penalty for grabbing the quarterback’s face mask.Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
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The headline-grabbing protests could also inspire some workers to organize unions at new facilities, posing a future threat to the company's distribution network -- but the protesters appear far from attaining the scale necessary for such impact, the experts said.Max Zahn, ABC News, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The owner modeled her brick-and-mortar after the great boutiques and salons of Paris, catching the attention of shoppers such as Blake Lively and Dita Von Teese along the way.Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
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My fascination with film acting is catching something.Jim Halterman, Variety, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Individuals are seizing opportunities as well.Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 Dec. 2024
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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) forces have since received training by Russian forces in the Far East and first engaged in combat with Ukrainian military in November, subsequently seizing their first village in Kursk, Plekhovo, earlier this month.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Mangold based his film on history but was mostly concerned with capturing the essence of the era.Grant Wong, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
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Stephen McGee, the book’s primary photographer, moved to Detroit 20 years ago and fell in love with Michigan Central to the point of taking upwards of three million photos capturing it literally and figuratively in darkness and light.Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near grappling
Cite this Entry
“Grappling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappling. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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