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Another word for grasp

a-z
Verb

  1. To take firmly with the hand and maintain a hold on

      1. To grasp suddenly and forcibly; take or grab:
      2. To take by force; capture or conquer:
      3. To take quick and forcible possession of; confiscate:
      1. A tight hold; a firm grasp:
      2. The pressure or strength of such a grasp:
      3. A manner of grasping and holding:
      1. An iron shaft with claws at one end, usually thrown by a rope and used for grasping and holding, especially one for drawing and holding an enemy ship alongside.
      2. Any of various grasping devices having hinged tines or jaws that close around an object or load, used especially in lifting or dragging heavy items.
      3. The act of grappling.
      1. To take or grasp suddenly:
      2. To capture or restrain; arrest.
      3. To obtain or appropriate unscrupulously or forcibly:
      1. To grasp and hold tightly:
      2. To seize; snatch:
      3. To attempt to grasp or seize:
      1. To close tightly:
      2. To grasp or grip tightly:
      3. To clinch (a bolt, for example).
      1. A fastening, such as a hook or buckle, used to hold two or more objects or parts together.
      2. An embrace or hug.
      3. A grip or grasp of the hand.
    See also:

    keep

  2. To perceive directly with the intellect

      1. Perception; understanding:
      2. Range of vision.
      3. View; sight.
      1. To become aware of the nature and significance of; know or comprehend:
      2. To become aware of the intended meaning of (a person or remark, for example):
      3. To know and be tolerant or sympathetic toward:
      1. To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty.
      2. To regard as true beyond doubt:
      3. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in:
      1. A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used principally in the measurement and specification of marine depths.
      2. To penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend.
      3. To determine the depth of; sound.
      1. To take in the meaning, nature, or importance of; grasp.
      2. To have as part of something larger; encompass or include.
      1. A device used to determine geographic direction, usually consisting of a magnetic needle or needles horizontally mounted or suspended and free to pivot until aligned with the earth's magnetic field.
      2. Another device, such as a radio compass or a gyrocompass, used for determining geographic direction.
      3. A V-shaped device for describing circles or circular arcs and for taking measurements, consisting of a pair of rigid, end-hinged legs, one of which is equipped with a pen, pencil, or other marker and the other with a sharp point providing a pivot about which the drawing leg is turned.
      1. To take into custody; arrest:
      2. To grasp mentally; understand:
      3. To become conscious of, as through the emotions or senses; perceive:
    See also:

    knowledge

  3. To perceive and recognize the meaning of

      1. Perception; understanding:
      2. Range of vision.
      3. View; sight.
      1. A young shoot representing the current season's growth of a woody plant.
      2. Any small, leafless branch of a woody plant.
      1. To break up, turn over, or remove (earth or sand, for example), as with a shovel, spade, or snout, or with claws, paws or hands.
      2. To make or form by removing earth or other material:
      3. To prepare (soil) by loosening or cultivating.
      1. Well informed and perceptive; shrewd:
      2. Knowledgeable or proficient. Often used in combination:
      3. Practical understanding or shrewdness:
      1. To become aware of the nature and significance of; know or comprehend:
      2. To become aware of the intended meaning of (a person or remark, for example):
      3. To know and be tolerant or sympathetic toward:
      1. The act or an instance of swindling or cheating; a deception.
      1. To grasp or grip:
      2. To capture physically; seize:
      3. To seize with authority or legal right:
      1. Any of the faculties by which stimuli from outside or inside the body are received and felt, as the faculties of hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste, and equilibrium.
      2. A perception or feeling produced by a stimulus; sensation:
      3. The faculties of sensation as means of providing physical gratification and pleasure.
      1. To perceive with the eye:
      2. To detect by means analogous to use of the eye:
      3. To attend or view as a spectator:
      1. To examine and grasp the meaning of (written or printed characters, words, or sentences).
      2. To utter or render aloud (written or printed material):
      3. To have the ability to examine and grasp the meaning of (written or printed material in a given language or notation):
      1. To draw up (a document etc.), to designate (a cheque) to a given recipient, payee. [from 15th c.]
      2. To discern; to manage to see, hear etc. [from 16th c.]
      3. (now chiefly US, regional, intransitive) To manage, get along; to do (well, badly etc.). [from 17th c.]
      1. To come into possession or use of; receive:
      2. To meet with or incur:
      3. To go after and obtain:
      1. To come or go after; proceed behind:
      2. To go after in pursuit:
      3. To keep under surveillance:
      1. A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used principally in the measurement and specification of marine depths.
      2. To penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend.
      3. To determine the depth of; sound.
      1. To become pregnant with (offspring):
      2. To form or develop in the mind:
      3. To apprehend mentally; understand:
      1. To take in the meaning, nature, or importance of; grasp.
      2. To have as part of something larger; encompass or include.
      1. A device used to determine geographic direction, usually consisting of a magnetic needle or needles horizontally mounted or suspended and free to pivot until aligned with the earth's magnetic field.
      2. Another device, such as a radio compass or a gyrocompass, used for determining geographic direction.
      3. A V-shaped device for describing circles or circular arcs and for taking measurements, consisting of a pair of rigid, end-hinged legs, one of which is equipped with a pen, pencil, or other marker and the other with a sharp point providing a pivot about which the drawing leg is turned.
      1. To get and hold (something that has been in motion) in a hand, the hands, a container, or an implement:
      2. To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly; grasp:
      3. To stop (oneself) from doing an action:
      1. To take into custody; arrest:
      2. To grasp mentally; understand:
      3. To become conscious of, as through the emotions or senses; perceive:
      1. To answer affirmatively:
      2. To agree to take (a duty or responsibility).
      3. To receive (something offered), especially with gladness or approval:
    Idioms:
    See also:

    understand

Noun

  1. An act or means of holding something

      1. An iron shaft with claws at one end, usually thrown by a rope and used for grasping and holding, especially one for drawing and holding an enemy ship alongside.
      2. Any of various grasping devices having hinged tines or jaws that close around an object or load, used especially in lifting or dragging heavy items.
      3. The act of grappling.
      1. To have and keep in one's grasp:
      2. To aim or direct; point:
      3. To keep from falling or moving; support:
      1. A tight hold; a firm grasp:
      2. The pressure or strength of such a grasp:
      3. A manner of grasping and holding:
      1. To grasp and hold tightly:
      2. To seize; snatch:
      3. To attempt to grasp or seize:
      1. To close tightly:
      2. To grasp or grip tightly:
      3. To clinch (a bolt, for example).
      1. A fastening, such as a hook or buckle, used to hold two or more objects or parts together.
      2. An embrace or hug.
      3. A grip or grasp of the hand.
    See also:

    keep

  2. Firm control

    See also:

    control

  3. A strong or powerful influence

    See also:

    affect

  4. The ability or power to seize or attain

      1. The range of one's perceptions, thoughts, or actions:
      2. The opportunity or possibility to function or be active:
      3. The extent of a given activity or subject that is involved, treated, or relevant:
      1. To stretch out or put forth (a body part); extend:
      2. To touch or grasp by stretching out or extending:
      3. To arrive at; attain:
      1. A number or grouping of things in the same category or within specified limits:
      2. An amount or extent of variation:
      3. The gamut of tones that a voice or instrument is capable of producing.
      1. A device used to determine geographic direction, usually consisting of a magnetic needle or needles horizontally mounted or suspended and free to pivot until aligned with the earth's magnetic field.
      2. Another device, such as a radio compass or a gyrocompass, used for determining geographic direction.
      3. A V-shaped device for describing circles or circular arcs and for taking measurements, consisting of a pair of rigid, end-hinged legs, one of which is equipped with a pen, pencil, or other marker and the other with a sharp point providing a pivot about which the drawing leg is turned.
      1. The ability to receive, hold, or absorb something:
      2. The maximum amount that can be contained:
      3. The power to learn or retain knowledge; mental ability.
    See also:

    ability

  5. Intellectual hold

    See also:

    knowledge

© Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Another word for grasp

Verb

  1. To clutch

    See also:

    seize

  2. To comprehend

      1. To come or go after; proceed behind:
      2. To go after in pursuit:
      3. To keep under surveillance:
      1. To take into custody; arrest:
      2. To grasp mentally; understand:
      3. To become conscious of, as through the emotions or senses; perceive:
      1. To become aware of (something) directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing:
      2. To cause or allow the mind to become aware of (a stimulus):
      3. To achieve understanding of; apprehend:
    See also:

    seize

    understand

Noun
  1. See also:

    grip

© WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD® ROGET’S A-Z THESAURUS by Charlton Laird and the editors of Webster’s New World dictionaries. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sentence Examples

  • It is important to grasp clearly the distinction between breeds.

  • His gloves, adequate for snow shoveling, were poor equipment to safely grasp a rope that supported his full weight.

  • If we try to know the soul, we grasp at a phantom.

  • "It was a last grasp try to hold the five of us together; for the children," I added.

  • It was best to focus on the things within her grasp – like Alex.

More sentences →

Words that mention grasp in the Dictionary

Words near grasp in the Thesaurus