grasp
verb (used with object)
to seize and hold by or as if by clasping with the fingers or arms.
was grasping
-
past progressiveof grasp.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
As the tank’s filtration system cleared the ink, Eric Angel Ramos, a marine scientist, noticed that Costello was grasping a pipe with unusual intensity, “looking like he was trying to kill it,” he said.
From New York Times ● May 25, 2023
Maybe she was grasping for any kind of reassurance.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023
Blanco had taken a hard hit at the end of the opening half and was grasping at his right side following the goal.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2021
That Wolff was grasping for a phone hardly made him unique on the nation’s roadways.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2018
The emperor’s face was frozen in a glare, and his arms were locked in an empty grip, as if even in his final moments he was grasping.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
