grabble
Americanverb (used without object)
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to feel or search with the hands; grope.
-
to sprawl; scramble.
verb
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(intr) to scratch or feel about with the hands
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(intr) to fall to the ground; sprawl
-
(tr) to seize rashly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grabble
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
You could ache for the cozy city of the past in “The Royal Tenenbaums” or grabble with the schism of everything suddenly feeling different in “Mulholland Drive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
It’s that we want—and need—the ability to grabble with nuance and ambiguity that are inherent when our bodies and minds fail.
From Slate ● Apr. 9, 2018
Now, they, I admid, were fine, noble, sensible fellows; they had indelligence enough to regognize the diffiguldies of the siduation, and do grabble with them in a sensible way.
From The Log of the Flying Fish A Story of Aerial and Submarine Peril and Adventure by Gordon Browne
A few hollow groans from the wardrobe, he thought, would be more than sufficient, or, if that failed to wake her, he might grabble at the counterpane with palsy-twitching fingers.
From Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde
He engaged some boys to grabble out the nuts from the sand beds, urging care, but many of the best were broken and injured.
From Walnut Growing in Oregon by Jacob Calvin Cooper
“Rebel Yell” starts up from the sound system and, as if on cue, my son lets out a grabbled “a-woooh!”
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2015
Suddenly, the Fleshlumpeater shot out two enormous hands and grabbled the BFG around the waist.
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
With white claws of foam the sea grabbled at the shore.
From A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde
"Oh! you see, I grabbled that in the scuffle, and slipped it into my pocket."
From The Kentuckian in New-York, Volume I (of 2) or, The Adventures of Three Southerns by William Alexander Caruthers
He stood with his broad hat in his hand and out of it he grabbled a handkerchief and wiped his face.
From The Jucklins A Novel by Opie Percival Read
Other departments in California are grabbling with similar incidents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2020
And then, as if a signal has gone off that only the childrens can hear, all of their hands are reaching and grabbling and snatching.
From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech
‘We will swear to do what he wants, yes, yess,’ said Gollum, still twisting and grabbling at his ankle.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
The furies of rage and rancour were grabbling at her heart, even as the leopard had scrabbled on her face.
From Blue Aloes Stories of South Africa by Cynthia Stockley
Chief among these nascent classes were the landowners of the cities, at first grabbling tradesmen and land speculators and finally rising to the crowning position of multimillionaires.
From History of the Great American Fortunes, Vol. I Conditions in Settlement and Colonial Times by Myers Gustavus
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