as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
a grasping person who would rather buy a car he didn't need than give a dime to charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
to have a practical understanding of
he just doesn't grasp how important it is that he call when he'll be late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clasping
to put one's arms around and press tightly
the departing soldier grasped his children a little closer than usual
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in holding
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the attendant grasped my arm and steered me towards the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
the emergency operator finally grasped what he was trying to tell her
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 grasping
Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Adjective
The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping?
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasping
Adjective
-
Consciously or not, Orsolya has played an active role in such urban growth; her job is to evict people from the lots that have been gobbled up by the government and/or greedy real estate developers who want to turn them into condos, chain stores, and luxury hotels.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Many of the Bronx’s Jews were not just liberals but leftists, leading rent strikes against greedy landlords.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Shakespeare, affectionately known as ‘Two Balls Shakey’ because of his penchant for holding a ball under each arm in training and during warm-up drills, contributed hugely to two promotions from League One in 2009 and the Championship in 2014, the great escape of 2015 and the 5000-1 title success.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Waterproof mascaras rely on film-forming copolymers, which help with flexibility, holding the eyelash's curl, and boosting temperature resistance.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Despite the grim proceedings and grubby environment, the spatial arrangement of the image brings to mind a theatre balcony packed with eager punters ready to consume their money’s worth of entertainment.—
Naomi Fry,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The 2006 film — based on the book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger — follows Andy Sachs, a recent college graduate, eager to pursue a career in journalism.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The Serpent Society, a brutal mercenary group led by Giancarlo Esposito's Sidewinder, already weaponized the metal.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Along the way, Captain America battles villains like Giancarlo Esposito's mercenary killer Sidewinder and Samuel Sterns, a role Tim Blake Nelson reprises for the first time since 2008's The Incredible Hulk.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
5 Jan. 2025
-
No actor has played him with as much reptilian cruelty and covetous flair as Andrew Scott, either.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Federation rivals ITV Studios and Fremantle are both rumored to be on the block, while Banijay remains acquisitive and newer players like North Road are part of this evolving conversation.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Societies around the world have embraced the competitive and acquisitive spirit hardwired into capitalism, without which incomes decline, poverty increases, and technological progress slows.—
Branko Milanovic,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Dec. 2019
Verb
-
As a result, men are the default for everything from calculating drug doses to recognizing heart attack symptoms to designing and testing car safety features.—
Eva Epker,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
-
There is an obvious tension between celebrating the city’s birthday and recognizing the painful and violent genocide that paved way for the city’s formation.—
Joe Baker,
New York Daily News,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Pearce plays Van Buren as hungry and avaricious even in his kinder moments, a man of immense wealth whose primary desire is to own more and more.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
-
Ever since the United States liberated Kuwait from the avaricious clutches of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War of 1990-91, the Kuwaitis have supported U.S. priorities in the Middle East and elsewhere.—
Martin Indyk,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Grasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasping. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share