groped; groping
1
: to feel about blindly or uncertainly in search
grope for the light switch
2
: to look for something blindly or uncertainly
grope for the right words
3
: to feel one's way
groped along the dark passage
groper
noun
plural gropes
: an act of groping
made a grope for the light switch
And what are these clumsy, embarrassing, fumbling encounters if they are not passes, beery gropes in the dark?—
Nick Hornby
Nick HornbySynonyms
Examples of grope in a Sentence
Verb
I groped for the light switch.
She groped around in her purse, looking for her comb.
We groped along the dark passage.
She claims that her boss tried to grope her.
Recent Examples on the WebJoyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The lawsuit began last year when a Republican operative, Carlton Huffman, alleged that Schlapp groped him without his consent during a political trip to Georgia in October 2022, then said in the suit that Schlapp also defamed him by denying the allegation and attacking his credibility.
—Patrick Svitek and Isaac Arnsdorf The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grope 
Verb
Frantically her hands grope her body—nose, cheeks, jaw, breasts, belly.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The lawsuit began last year when a Republican operative, Carlton Huffman, alleged that Schlapp groped him without his consent during a political trip to Georgia in October 2022, then said in the suit that Schlapp also defamed him by denying the allegation and attacking his credibility.
—Patrick Svitek and Isaac Arnsdorf The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grope
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near grope
Cite this Entry
“Grope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grope. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grope
verb
groped; groping
1
: to seek by or as if by feeling around uncertainly
groped for the light switch
grope for the right word
2
: to feel one's way by groping
grope along a wall
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