GRAPPLING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

grappling

verb

Definition of grappling

present participle of grapple

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 grappling While authorities continue to investigate a motive for the killing, Peña's best friend is grappling with the loss of the mother of five. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, who grabbed Mikolas, leading to the two of them grappling, got a three-game suspension. — David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Dozens of other courts around the country, including Connecticut’s federal courts, already are grappling with the problem. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026 Nearly two weeks after the Pride night controversy erupted after four pitchers wrote Bible verses on their rainbow hats, the team is still grappling with the fallout. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026 Trump last spoke at Mount Rushmore in 2020, during his first term, at a time when Americans were grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 3 July 2026 Reading scores among high school seniors are at their lowest in decades, according to federal testing data, while schools across the country are grappling with how to respond to waning attention spans and artificial intelligence. — Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The Cleveland Guardians are grappling with significant injuries to key offensive players Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez, who remain sidelined after a single game saw three stars injured. — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Financial regulation is struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, according to European policymakers, who are grappling with how to support adoption while containing risks to market integrity and stability. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 3 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappling

Verb

Wallace ended up wrestling the gun back from the officer, police said, at which point the officer shot Wallace, police said at the time.

— Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Growth comes from wrestling with uncertainty long enough to form your own conclusions.

— Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Definition of wrestling

Verb

Americans are grabbing their passports and fleeing the country in hopes of leaving the nation’s problems behind.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Swanson argues those behind-the-scenes improvements have done more to modernize logistics than many of the industry’s headline-grabbing automation projects.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 2 July 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Police encountered teens fighting, launching fireworks at other people and carrying handguns.

— Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
This serum is great for fading dark spots, boosting collagen production, and fighting visible signs of aging like fine lines and dullness.

— Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 4 July 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

But this year, the city is catching a little guff over an apparent oversight.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
And that job is made all the more difficult when catching for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who holds himself and his teammates to very high standards.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Heim, the 2024 truck series champion who will move full time into Cup next season with 23XI Racing, led the final three laps after snatching first from teammate Tyler Reddick.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
Two balls, two strikes and the Vibe on the verge of snatching back some momentum.

— Latif Love June 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026

Definition of snatching

Verb

Authorities served a search warrant at the rescue on May 1, seizing electronics, business records, financial records, firearms, and other evidence, according to the sheriff.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 June 2026
For leadership teams worldwide, this requires striking a careful balance between responding to immediate disruption and seizing arising opportunities to bolster growth.

— Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of seizing

Verb

The first, Fluid Lensing, is a custom algorithm that removes wave distortion in real time, capturing crystal-clear, high-resolution images of the seafloor.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Underground, buried fiber-optic cables can sense movement, capturing data that are also then analyzed by AI.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of capturing

Verb

Farmer, who had a right forearm strain, went 2-for-20 with a home run at Columbus while getting reps at catcher.

— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Reaching such a stage would be the third World Cup final in succession for France, after getting their hands on the trophy in 2018 and losing to Argentina last time around.

— Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 4 July 2026