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
Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 14 July 2024
Advertisement California’s fire season is already off to an unprecedented start as the state grapples withweather conditions like extreme heat.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024
Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
The country is grappling with a number of challenges, from sluggish consumer spending and a persistent property slump to a mounting debt crisis in local governments.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for grapple 
Noun
Once Trump is nominated on Thursday, locking him in as the Republican candidate, he is set to take on President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party grapples with whether Biden should remain at the top of the ticket following his debate performance.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 14 July 2024
Advertisement California’s fire season is already off to an unprecedented start as the state grapples withweather conditions like extreme heat.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024
Verb
To get there, the team is grappling with the often grim reality behind lofty AI aspirations.
—Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
The country is grappling with a number of challenges, from sluggish consumer spending and a persistent property slump to a mounting debt crisis in local governments.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for grapple
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 11 Aug. 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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