grapple

1 of 2

noun

grap·​ple ˈgra-pəl 

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

: grappling hook

grapple

2 of 2

verb

grappled; grappling ˈgra-p(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

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

grappler

ˈgra-p(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms of grapple

Noun

• grip
• grasp
• hold

Verb

• wrestle

Examples of grapple in a Sentence

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

Noun

The riotous 640-page door stopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Its soaring, sometimes Madonna-esque dance pop grapples with love, loss, and renewal in the shadow of 2025’s Los Angeles wildfires. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

In an interview conducted Friday by The Associated Press from outside Iran, Mohammadi said Iranians are grappling with multiple crises stemming from the ongoing war and deepening economic pressure. — Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026

In an interview conducted Friday by The Associated Press from outside Iran, Mohammadi said that Iranians are grappling with multiple crises stemming from the ongoing war and deepening economic pressure, and the brutal crackdowns on protests. — Amir-Hussein Radjy, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for grapple

• appal
• apple
• chapel
• dapple
• pineapple

Kids Definition

grapple

1 of 2 noun

grap·​ple ˈgrap-əl 

: the act of grappling : grip, hold

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

grappler

-(ə-)lər 

noun