GRAPPLED Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

grappled

verb

past tense of grapple

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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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 Trump or other parts of the executive branch have also, in policy and in the courts, grappled with The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and The New York Times. — Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026 As live shopping grows, platforms like Whatnot have also grappled with issues such as theft and addiction claims. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Rather, it's grappled by Canadarm2, which berths it to the station and moves it around in other ways as necessary. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026 While the university grappled with yet another football scandal, an Ann Arbor moving crew simply got to work—sorting, packing and hauling away the remnants of a fallen career, one item at a time, over the span of six hours. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday grappled with a complex dispute involving an effort by the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, to hold energy companies accountable for the effects of global climate change. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 After a passenger grabbed the copilot and pulled him out, and others grappled with the man to subdue him, Schlichter said that one of the traveling pilots practically hurtled the scrum to enter the cockpit and seize the controls. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 In recent years, Pandora has grappled with headwinds including sluggish demand across core markets, an overreliance on single product categories, and volatile precious metal input costs. — CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 Satterley grappled with his insecurities on the podcast but concluded that insecurities are part of human nature and that sharing them with the world could ultimately be a force for good. — Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grappled

Verb

Countless poets have wrestled with this question, either writing about dreams directly or invoking them through the dreamlike manipulation of words and ideas.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2026
When media are more than ordinary products Since broadcasting began, American media policy has wrestled with how to support the information needs of a democracy.

— Seth Ashley, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrestled

Verb

The initial patient — a Kenyan citizen — caught the deadly virus while living in Congo and died earlier this month.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
Cooks played nearly every snap after Samuel departed and caught a touchdown on a target inside the 10-yard line.

— Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of caught

Verb

The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Another Renoir, a Cézanne and a Matisse were taken from the Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma, Italy, in March (and also later recovered), while four Renaissance paintings by Antonello da Messina were seized from a Sicilian museum in August.

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of seized

Verb

Once the vehicle is loaded on it, the slave deck can easily be snatched with a front-end loader sporting long forks.

— Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 14 Oct. 2026
Little buried the 57-yard field goal as the Jaguars snatched victory from the jaws (or, in this case, claws) of defeat.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of snatched

Verb

Chance had five punts land inside the Baylor 20-yard line, including two that landed inside the Bears’ 5-yard line.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Some artifacts found on the island indicate Earhart and Noonan’s plane may have landed there, including glass bottles from the 1930s and a woman’s makeup compact, the expedition said.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of landed

Verb

Pictures and video are only captured when the camera senses a vehicle going 10 miles per hour or more above the speed limit.

— Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Last week, the militia took a leading role in an operation to retake the strategically vital Red Sea port of Mocha, captured by the Houthis last month.

— Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of captured

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grapple

grappled

grappled (with)

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“Grappled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grappled. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of grappled

verb

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