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
Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Yet as the entire health care industry grapples with rising costs and the lingering damage of the pandemic, even clinics in states that support Planned Parenthood are feeling the squeeze.
—Katie Benner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Daniela Aneva, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, Marino continued to grapple with his astonishment over White's filming schedule.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
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Noun
Other Universities Rein In Graduate Admissions As Caution Prevails
Pitt is not alone in its concern as the wider academic community grapples with the potential consequences of the NIH policy shift.
—Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Yet as the entire health care industry grapples with rising costs and the lingering damage of the pandemic, even clinics in states that support Planned Parenthood are feeling the squeeze.
—Katie Benner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
Leaders often grapple with the feeling that there simply aren’t enough hours in a day.
—Daniela Aneva, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, Marino continued to grapple with his astonishment over White's filming schedule.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 9 Mar. 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 15 Mar. 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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