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
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
NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Often compared to Black Swan for similarities in visuals and plot, the film follows a Japanese pop idol who leaves the music industry to pursue a career as a serious actress — and grapples with an increasingly volatile stalker.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 12 Oct. 2025
Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Like En Sage, Toggler is becoming a victim of its popularity, while grappling with market saturation.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
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Noun
The matches are intense, with powerful throws and strategic grapples, and the crowd's energy adds to the electric atmosphere.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Often compared to Black Swan for similarities in visuals and plot, the film follows a Japanese pop idol who leaves the music industry to pursue a career as a serious actress — and grapples with an increasingly volatile stalker.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
Filing charges against school officials in the aftermath of a school shooting is rare, a law professor at the University of Virginia told CNN, and this case could set a precedent for future events as US communities grapple with questions of responsibility after a school is scarred by gun violence.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Like En Sage, Toggler is becoming a victim of its popularity, while grappling with market saturation.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grapple. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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