grapple 1 of 2

noun

ˈgra-pəl How to pronounce grapple (audio)
Definition of grapplenext
1
as in grip
the act or manner of holding was simply unable to break my opponent's viselike grapple and lost the wrestling match

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another after a grapple with his conscience, he confessed to having an affair

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grapple

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to wrestle
to seize and attempt to unbalance one another for the purpose of achieving physical mastery two sumo wrestlers grappling like a pair of mammoth bears

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2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly a crane grappled the sunken boat and hoisted it above water

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grapple
Noun
The script called for her character to throw a wine glass toward Isaac’s head, escalating things into a grapple with a golf club. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 Aston Villa’s grapple with underlying metrics has been under the microscope all season. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Finally, there is Lacey Campbell, still trying to find her own place in the world, while grappling with the many lingering questions about her own mother’s 2018 death. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 July 2026 Some of that arc is grappling with various reasons not to have a child, including climate change. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grapple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grapple
  1. grip
  2. struggle
  3. wrestle
  4. grab
  5. grasp
  6. battle
  7. catch
  8. hold
Noun
  • The basketballs themselves are also protected from unnecessary surface wear and tear with the Carry’s non-friction delivery system (supports size 6 and 7 balls) that helps the basketball keep grip through continual training.
    — Shirl Leigh July 13, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • At 15 years old, Boubacar Sidibe already had a good grip on this firefighting stuff at Monday's first day of camp.
    — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of grip
Noun
  • Or maybe England’s much maligned Bukayo Saka shaking off early struggles to finish with a hat trick?
    — Sergio Gonzalez, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • The ongoing campaign, now in its second week, began with a struggle over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • But there’s a difference between narrating crime scenes at a remove and wrestling with the lingering morality of it all.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026
  • The 23-year-old Vancouver native leans into analog indie rock, using story songs and confessional lyrics to wrestle with relationships, future anxieties and the challenges of growing up in the public eye.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of wrestle
Verb
  • With the back tyre in the water, grab the front brake and stand up off the bike.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Ethiopian content creator Kalu Putik has grabbed the attention of the fashion world with his outfits made from old clothes, shoes, and garbage scraps.
    — Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of grab
Noun
  • The collaboration builds on several NVIDIA resources already available through LeRobot, including an open-source physical AI dataset containing more than 350,000 real and simulated robot trajectories and 57 million grasp examples.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
  • In comparison, the Sparks, without an offensive rebound until the end of the third quarter, were forced to make perfect shots, though that was far from the team’s grasp.
    — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of grasp
Noun
  • The war’s new weapon What began as a ground war has evolved into a battle increasingly fought from the air.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The battle harks back to the January 2025 Eaton fire which spread toxic ash over swaths of Altadena and Pasadena.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of battle
Verb
  • Anaplasmosis can also cause severe illness, including respiratory failure, bleeding problems, organ failure and death, though it can also be treated with antibiotics, especially if caught early.
    — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • For many who are caught in, recovering from or trying to avoid the next heatwave, their prayers for rain might well be answered.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 13 July 2026
Definition of catch
Noun
  • Indeed, that's enough time for Weyland-Yutani to colonize LV-426 and — just maybe — pay a visit to that mysterious spaceship with all those eggs in its cargo hold.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • Should Deadline’s $117 million domestic projection hold, the amount will closely align with pre-release projections from different industry trade publications, which forecast an opening for The Odyssey as high as $120 million.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of hold

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Cite this Entry

“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grapple. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grapple

Nglish: Translation of grapple for Spanish Speakers

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