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
Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2024
Through it all, the Captain, who is the son of a French priest and a Vietnamese villager, grapples with his conflicting convictions, identities and sympathies.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Put simply, the episode grapples with life’s unpredictability.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
The Japanese prime minister grapples with dismal approval ratings, primarily following scandals involving his party, and the looming US elections raise the potential of a policy shake up if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House next year.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
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
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, amid the crisis, Flint also grappled with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that led to a dozen deaths and scrutiny over whether the severe form of bacterial pneumonia was connected with the city’s water supply.
—Maggie Vespa, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
Back in 1994, Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel and Elizabeth Vargas grappled with the core of modern technology on air, and at the time, the former Today co-hosts weren’t alone in their confusion.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
Quidam, in 1996, grappled with the feeling of being a nobody, and Kooza, from 2007, centered on a group of misfit characters looking to carve out a place for themselves.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Israel, Gaza divide Democrats As Republicans dealt with infighting in their conference, Democrats grappled with their own divisions.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Alaska is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the country and experiencing a shrinking of its ice coverage, while California is grappling with dwindling water reserves.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
California officials have a strong interest in the case, City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, as the state grapples with some of the highest rates of homelessness and housing costs in the United States.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 22 Apr. 2024
The layoffs, according to multiple analysts, confirmed that Tesla is grappling with a serious demand issue.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Noun
In her eleventh studio album, Swift grapples with the consequences of the monoculture she’s built around herself.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2024
Through it all, the Captain, who is the son of a French priest and a Vietnamese villager, grapples with his conflicting convictions, identities and sympathies.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Put simply, the episode grapples with life’s unpredictability.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
The Japanese prime minister grapples with dismal approval ratings, primarily following scandals involving his party, and the looming US elections raise the potential of a policy shake up if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House next year.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
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
Verb
For a state that is grappling with more frequent and severe periods of drought, the last two wet winters have come as a rare bounty.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, amid the crisis, Flint also grappled with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that led to a dozen deaths and scrutiny over whether the severe form of bacterial pneumonia was connected with the city’s water supply.
—Maggie Vespa, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
Back in 1994, Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel and Elizabeth Vargas grappled with the core of modern technology on air, and at the time, the former Today co-hosts weren’t alone in their confusion.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
Quidam, in 1996, grappled with the feeling of being a nobody, and Kooza, from 2007, centered on a group of misfit characters looking to carve out a place for themselves.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Israel, Gaza divide Democrats As Republicans dealt with infighting in their conference, Democrats grappled with their own divisions.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Alaska is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the country and experiencing a shrinking of its ice coverage, while California is grappling with dwindling water reserves.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
California officials have a strong interest in the case, City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, as the state grapples with some of the highest rates of homelessness and housing costs in the United States.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 22 Apr. 2024
The layoffs, according to multiple analysts, confirmed that Tesla is grappling with a serious demand issue.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 22 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near grapple
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grapple. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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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