grasp at

phrasal verb

grasped at; grasping at; grasps at

: to try to take or get (something) in an eager or desperate way

They were ready to grasp at any possible solution.

He grasped at the opportunity to speak with her.

Examples of grasp at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, people grasped at once that a new era had started. —

Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 Giving an elite athlete like Barkley all that room puts pressure on second- and third-level defenders to bring him down, and they’re often left grasping at air or being shoved into the ground. —

C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 26 Nov. 2024 One by one, the 82 climbed up the Brewton’s accommodation ladder, reaching the top, grasping at sailors’ hands to pull them aboard. —

Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 1 July 2024 Late in the third quarter, cornerback Marlon Humphrey ripped the ball from Brown’s grasp at the line of scrimmage. —

Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grasp at