# grasp at

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grasp-at
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to try to grab something quickly, or to try very hard to find a reason or solution when you are desperate.

For teachers: to reach out suddenly to seize something; figuratively, to attempt to find or use something (such as an idea or excuse) because of a lack of better options.

## Examples

- He reached out to grasp at the falling keys.
- As the company failed, the manager began to grasp at any excuse to blame the market.
- The witness, clearly flustered by the cross-examination, began to grasp at increasingly improbable details to support his original testimony.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He grasped at of the rope." but "He grasped at the rope." — the preposition 'at' is followed directly by the object without adding 'of'.

## Usage notes

- often used figuratively with abstract nouns like 'straws', 'ideas', or 'excuses'.
- Teaching tip: introduce the common idiom 'grasping at straws' to help students understand the connotation of desperation and futility often associated with this phrase.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.