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
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
Helen Coster and Svea Herbst-Bayliss, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
In the sixth, Danis went for Paul's legs in an MMA-type grapple, but Paul whisked him away.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 15 Oct. 2023
The convent grapples with how to handle her situation, while Benedetta soon enters into an erotic relationship with a fellow nun, Bartolomea (Daphné Patakia), causing even more of a stir.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2023
Ben Chida, chief architect of the state’s education policies, grapples every day with his mental health.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
However, some of its customers will have to brace for delays in their orders as the world’s biggest retailer grapples with rerouting its ships due to the Red Sea crisis.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024
In the film, Sonal, a teacher, grapples with a hereditary disease, mirroring her mother’s untimely demise.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
At least two other CVS pharmacies across the Sacramento area have shuttered in the past year as the drug store chain grapples with stagnant profits, according to multiple media reports.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 10 Feb. 2024
As the sun sets over Martha’s Vineyard, each member of this eclectic group grapples with their own secrets, desires, and challenges, setting the stage for a summer that none of them will ever forget.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 21 Feb. 2024
Doc Louallen, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
But even as El-Haddad grapples with feelings of overwhelm and hopelessness, her resolve to honor the holiday has only deepened.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Even so, one of them — Miramontes — is now grappling with legal issues in a different case that seemed poised to fade away but has since been revived by a California appeals court.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
But as this year’s election season fast approaches, electoral officials across the country are grappling with the challenge of safeguarding against extreme heat as voters head to the polls later this month.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
President Biden spoke with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call that was aimed at addressing a variety of combative and cooperative issues, as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Yet Georgia, another swing state, still grapples with relatively high inflation, possibly aiding former President Donald Trump.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
As the city seeks candidates, the shooting also touches on another issue officials grapple with: Improving the perception of downtown.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The push for changes to child labor laws arrives as employers — particularly in restaurants and other service-providing industries — have grappled with labor shortages since the beginning of the pandemic, and hired more teenagers whose wages are typically lower than adults’.
—Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
The windfall could prove vital as Trump grapples with the financial fallout of a string of legal cases against him, including a $454 million judgment in a civil fraud case in New York.
—Helen Coster and Svea Herbst-Bayliss, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
In the sixth, Danis went for Paul's legs in an MMA-type grapple, but Paul whisked him away.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 15 Oct. 2023
The convent grapples with how to handle her situation, while Benedetta soon enters into an erotic relationship with a fellow nun, Bartolomea (Daphné Patakia), causing even more of a stir.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2023
Ben Chida, chief architect of the state’s education policies, grapples every day with his mental health.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
However, some of its customers will have to brace for delays in their orders as the world’s biggest retailer grapples with rerouting its ships due to the Red Sea crisis.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024
In the film, Sonal, a teacher, grapples with a hereditary disease, mirroring her mother’s untimely demise.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
At least two other CVS pharmacies across the Sacramento area have shuttered in the past year as the drug store chain grapples with stagnant profits, according to multiple media reports.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 10 Feb. 2024
As the sun sets over Martha’s Vineyard, each member of this eclectic group grapples with their own secrets, desires, and challenges, setting the stage for a summer that none of them will ever forget.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
Commander Bill McKinstry from the U.S. Coast Guard informed ABC News that the divers are grappling with poor visibility due to the water conditions, with only about a foot of visibility.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
But even as El-Haddad grapples with feelings of overwhelm and hopelessness, her resolve to honor the holiday has only deepened.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Even so, one of them — Miramontes — is now grappling with legal issues in a different case that seemed poised to fade away but has since been revived by a California appeals court.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
But as this year’s election season fast approaches, electoral officials across the country are grappling with the challenge of safeguarding against extreme heat as voters head to the polls later this month.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
President Biden spoke with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call that was aimed at addressing a variety of combative and cooperative issues, as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Yet Georgia, another swing state, still grapples with relatively high inflation, possibly aiding former President Donald Trump.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
As the city seeks candidates, the shooting also touches on another issue officials grapple with: Improving the perception of downtown.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The push for changes to child labor laws arrives as employers — particularly in restaurants and other service-providing industries — have grappled with labor shortages since the beginning of the pandemic, and hired more teenagers whose wages are typically lower than adults’.
—Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
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 16 Apr. 2024.
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
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