grabble
Americanverb (used without object)
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to feel or search with the hands; grope.
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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
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(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:
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
What a foolish fellow you are, indeed, trying to grabble cherries out of the ground, as you do potatoes!
From Alice of Old Vincennes by Thompson, Maurice
And every minute their fingers grabble in the purses of nobles.
From My Neighbors Stories of the Welsh People by Evans, Caradoc
Happy dat de house am full So yuh'll hab toh trabble; Mister Trouble, stretch yoh laigs Libely down de grabble!
From Oklahoma Sunshine by Miller, Freeman E. (Freeman Edwin)
Then we grabble in de pot for more.
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 4 by Work Projects Administration
“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
"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 Caruthers, William Alexander
Some of them cleft the rocks with great axes; others grabbled in the sand.
From A House of Pomegranates by Wilde, Oscar
Being blind made touch even more of an instrument of knowing something although all grabbled around in darkness.
From Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America by Sills, Steven (Steven David Justin)
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
Taylors out of work, who cut off the waistcoat pockets of their brethren, when cross-legged on their board, thereby grabbling their bit.
From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Grose, Francis
The speaker slowly rose, grabbling the face of the rock.
From John March, Southerner by Cable, George W.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
