1
a
: the act or an instance of grappling
b
: a hand-to-hand struggle
locked in a desperate grapple with his foe
c
: a contest for superiority or mastery
their grapple with tyranny
2
: an instrument for grabbing or gripping something: such as
a
: a bucket (as on an excavating machine) having hinged jaws
b
grappled; grappling
ˈgra-p(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to seize with or as if with a grapple (see grapple entry 1 sense 2)
2
: to grasp with the hands : wrestle
3
: to bind closely
1
: to make a ship fast with a grappling hook
2
: to begin to understand or deal with something in a direct or effective way
Officials grappled with an increase in violent crimes.
3
: to use a grapple
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Noun
was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match
after a grapple with his conscience, he confessed to having an affair
Verb
two sumo wrestlers grappling like a pair of mammoth bears
a crane grappled the sunken boat and hoisted it above water
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicholas Bariyo, WSJ, 17 May 2023
As New York grapples with a surge in migrant arrivals, Orangetown, in Rockland County, was granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday to keep a hotel in the town from accepting 30 migrant men that the New York mayor’s office planned to send Wednesday, Town Supervisor Teresa Kenny announced.
—Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 10 May 2023
As the community grapples, those impacted begin to take on medical and funeral expenses.
—Arcelia Martin, Dallas News, 8 May 2023
Twelve different patch notes were added to the list after the fact, including nerfs to orb generation from certain mods and nerfs to a certain kind of grapple playstyle.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
The story primarily takes place in the present day as a grown-up Clare (played by Hahn) grapples with the trauma of having lost her mother, while Wever’s character exists in flashbacks to the 1990s when Clare was in her 20s and played by Sarah Pidgeon.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 8 Apr. 2023
Brandon Johnson, a union organizer and former teacher, was elected Chicago mayor on Tuesday, a major victory for the party's progressive wing as the nation's third-largest city grapples with high crime and financial challenges.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023
The Bruins captain is left to ponder retirement as his team, which won an N.H.L.-record 65 games in the regular season, grapples with its first-round playoff exit.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 May 2023
The documentary, out now on Prime Video, grapples directly with Blume’s life and impact.
—Michael Stillwell, Town & Country, 24 Apr. 2023
Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 17 May 2023
On Slack and in boardrooms, institutions grappled with the inequality within.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
In March, parts of Argentina grappled with temperatures up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 17 May 2023
At the same time, many are also grappling with how to operate more sustainably.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2023
As a result, the payments resemble what investigators frequently find in examining criminal enterprises: conspirators forever grappling with the challenge of concealing where the money is coming from, how much of it there is, and who is getting it.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 May 2023
In the meantime, employees of Pappas' Hobby restaurants were grappling with a choice — stay with the company and be relocated to another restaurant, or stay and take a new job with Areas SAU at the airport.
—Brittanie Shey, Chron, 16 May 2023
The majority of countries that have shown interest in using the yuan are grappling with their own economic distress, like Argentina, or looking to trade with Russia despite sanctions, like Brazil.
—David Feliba, Washington Post, 16 May 2023
Following the news Friday that the Writers Guild of America had denied a waiver request that would allow the Tony Awards to be televised on June 11, New York’s theater communities are grappling with the implications of the decision for industry solidarity amid the strike.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2023
See More
Noun
Zambia’s central bank hiked its key lending rate to 9.5% from 9.25% as Africa’s second-top copper and cobalt producer grapples with spiraling inflation.
—Nicholas Bariyo, WSJ, 17 May 2023
As New York grapples with a surge in migrant arrivals, Orangetown, in Rockland County, was granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday to keep a hotel in the town from accepting 30 migrant men that the New York mayor’s office planned to send Wednesday, Town Supervisor Teresa Kenny announced.
—Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 10 May 2023
As the community grapples, those impacted begin to take on medical and funeral expenses.
—Arcelia Martin, Dallas News, 8 May 2023
Twelve different patch notes were added to the list after the fact, including nerfs to orb generation from certain mods and nerfs to a certain kind of grapple playstyle.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
The story primarily takes place in the present day as a grown-up Clare (played by Hahn) grapples with the trauma of having lost her mother, while Wever’s character exists in flashbacks to the 1990s when Clare was in her 20s and played by Sarah Pidgeon.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 8 Apr. 2023
Brandon Johnson, a union organizer and former teacher, was elected Chicago mayor on Tuesday, a major victory for the party's progressive wing as the nation's third-largest city grapples with high crime and financial challenges.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023
The Bruins captain is left to ponder retirement as his team, which won an N.H.L.-record 65 games in the regular season, grapples with its first-round playoff exit.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 May 2023
The documentary, out now on Prime Video, grapples directly with Blume’s life and impact.
—Michael Stillwell, Town & Country, 24 Apr. 2023
Verb
Amid uprisings for racial justice in the summer of 2020, the organization grappled with the racist legacy of its founder, John Muir, and the early conservation movement’s embrace of white supremacy.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 17 May 2023
On Slack and in boardrooms, institutions grappled with the inequality within.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
In March, parts of Argentina grappled with temperatures up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 17 May 2023
At the same time, many are also grappling with how to operate more sustainably.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2023
As a result, the payments resemble what investigators frequently find in examining criminal enterprises: conspirators forever grappling with the challenge of concealing where the money is coming from, how much of it there is, and who is getting it.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 May 2023
In the meantime, employees of Pappas' Hobby restaurants were grappling with a choice — stay with the company and be relocated to another restaurant, or stay and take a new job with Areas SAU at the airport.
—Brittanie Shey, Chron, 16 May 2023
The majority of countries that have shown interest in using the yuan are grappling with their own economic distress, like Argentina, or looking to trade with Russia despite sanctions, like Brazil.
—David Feliba, Washington Post, 16 May 2023
Following the news Friday that the Writers Guild of America had denied a waiver request that would allow the Tony Awards to be televised on June 11, New York’s theater communities are grappling with the implications of the decision for industry solidarity amid the strike.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grapple.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English grappel grappling hook, from Old French *grappelle, diminutive of grape hook — more at grape
First Known Use
Noun
1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near grapple
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grapple. Accessed 29 May. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
grapple
2 of 2 verb
grappled; grappling
ˈgrap-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to seize or hold with or as if with a hooked instrument
2
: to seize and struggle with one another
3
: to attempt to deal
grappled with a problem
More from Merriam-Webster on grapple
Nglish: Translation of grapple for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of grapple for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
-
Palter, Dissemble, and Other Words for Lying
Trust us
-
Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins
You've used more than you might think
-
Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names, Vol. 2
When 'thingamajig' and 'thingamabob' just won't do
-
When Were Words First Used?
Look up any year to find out
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Name That Thing MegaQuiz: Vol. 5
Test your visual vocabulary!
Take the quiz
-
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama
Prove you're the best of the nest.
Take the quiz
-
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share