grip

[ grip ]

/ grɪp /

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See synonyms for: grip / gripped / gripping on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of grasping; a seizing and holding fast; firm grasp.

the power of gripping: He has a strong grip.

a grasp, hold, or control.

mental or intellectual hold: to have a good grip on a problem.

competence or firmness in dealing with situations in one's work or personal affairs: The boss is old and is losing his grip.

a special mode of clasping hands: Members of the club use the secret grip.

something that seizes and holds, as a clutching device on a cable car.

a handle or hilt: That knife has a very unusual grip.

a sudden, sharp pain; spasm of pain.

grippe.

Older Use. a small traveling bag.

Theater. a stagehand, especially one who works on the stage floor.
Movies, Television. a general assistant available on a film set for shifting scenery, moving furniture, etc.

verb (used with object), gripped or gript, grip·ping.

to grasp or seize firmly; hold fast: We gripped the sides of the boat as the waves tossed us about.

to take hold on; hold the interest of: to grip the mind.

to attach by a grip or clutch.

verb (used without object), gripped or gript, grip·ping.

to take firm hold; hold fast.

to take hold on the mind.

SYNONYMS FOR grip

14 impress, attract, rivet, hold, fascinate.

See synonyms for grip on Thesaurus.com

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Idioms for grip

come to grips with,

to encounter; meet; cope with: She had never come to grips with such a situation before.
to deal with directly or firmly: We didn't come to grips with the real problem.

Origin of grip

before 900; Middle English, Old English gripe grasp (noun); cognate with German Griff,Old English gripa handful; see gripe

OTHER WORDS FROM grip

gripless, adjectivere·grip, verb, re·gripped or re·gript, re·grip·ping.un·grip, verb, un·gripped, un·grip·ping.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH grip

grip , gripe, grippe

Words nearby grip

grind to a halt, gringa, gringo, grin like a Cheshire cat, griot, grip, gripe, gripe water, gripey, gripman, grippe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for grip

You get a bevel range of up to 45 degrees and the horizontal handle and clamping system helps you get a good grip on your lumber as you cut down.
Make every project a breeze with the right miter saw|PopSci Commerce Team|August 26, 2020|Popular Science
Pitchers use the detailed images to refine pitch grips to optimize movement.
Cleveland’s League-Leading Rotation Relies On Homegrown Talent … From A Single Draft|Travis Sawchik|August 25, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Researchers have now used creative cuts to help shoes get a grip.
Shape-shifting cuts give shoes a better grip|Carolyn Wilke|July 14, 2020|Science News For Students
The new high, which smashes that 32-year record, comes on the heels of a historically hot May around the globe, and especially in Siberia, which is in the grips of an ongoing heat wave.
A Siberian town hit 100 degrees, setting a new record for the Arctic Circle|Carolyn Gramling|June 23, 2020|Science News

The most sensitive experiment will be the first to run into the unexpected, and XENON continues to maintain a solid grip on that prized pole position.
Dark Matter Experiment Finds Unexplained Signal|Natalie Wolchover|June 17, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Hillary retains an iron grip on second place for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Why 2016’s Hopefuls Are Hopeless|P. J. O’Rourke|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And why did the Western Powers lose their grip in such a spectacular fashion in the decade following the end of the war?
How WWI Produced the Holocaust|J.P. O’Malley|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“They think Putin is the only evil in Russia and dream about getting rid of him,” he said, tightening his grip on the wheel.
Think Putin’s Bad? Wait for the Next Guy|Anna Nemtsova|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How is he dealing with both parts of his life escaping his grip?
The Good Wife’s Secret Weapon: Matt Czuchry on Cary Agos’s Terrible, Horrible Year|Kevin Fallon|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tamaulipas is notorious as a state caught in the iron grip of organized crime.
She Tweeted Against the Mexican Cartels. They Tweeted Her Murder.|Jason McGahan|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As men fixed in the grip of nightmare, we were powerless—unable to do anything but wait.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Their glances met, she holding him always at arm's length by that grip upon his shoulders, a grip that was firm and nervous.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
But the grip was immovable, and he found himself staring into the unemotional face of Seton Pasha.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
Pattison leaned over the door at the front of the car, and brought out a big leather grip.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
His attitude was somewhat devil-may-care, his grip on life itself seemed slipping.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for grip (1 of 2)

grip¹

/ (ɡrɪp) /

noun

the act or an instance of grasping and holding firmlyhe lost his grip on the slope

Also called: handgrip the strength or pressure of such a grasp, as in a handshakea feeble grip

the style or manner of grasping an object, such as a tennis racket

understanding, control, or mastery of a subject, problem, etc (esp in such phrases as get or have a grip on)

Also called: handgrip a part by which an object is grasped; handle

Also called: handgrip a travelling bag or holdall

See hairgrip

any device that holds by friction, such as certain types of brake

a method of clasping or shaking hands used by members of secret societies to greet or identify one another

a spasm of paina grip in one's stomach

a worker in a camera crew or a stagehand who shifts sets and props, etc

a small drainage channel cut above an excavation to conduct surface water away from the excavation

get to grips or come to grips (often foll by with)

to deal with (a problem or subject)
to tackle (an assailant)

verb grips, gripping or gripped

to take hold of firmly or tightly, as by a clutch

to hold the interest or attention ofto grip an audience

Derived forms of grip

gripper, noungrippingly, adverb

Word Origin for grip

Old English gripe grasp; related to Old Norse gripr property, Old High German grif

British Dictionary definitions for grip (2 of 2)

grip²

/ (ɡrɪp) /

noun

med a variant spelling of grippe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with grip

grip

see come to grips with; get a grip on; lose one's grip.

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grip

noun

verb (used with object), gripped or gript, grip·ping.

verb (used without object), gripped or gript, grip·ping.

SYNONYMS FOR grip