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
Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
Vice President Harris is stepping up her outreach to Latino voters in the final days of the election as former President Trump grapples with the fallout from his Madison Square Garden rally.
—Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
But the series also grapples with deep wells of complication around the costs of political violence, even when it’s carried out in the name of a just cause.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grapple 
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Noun
The film portrays the Mile End music scene that birthed artists like Mac DeMarco, Arcade Fire and Grimes, as Grace grapples with romantic obsession and finding her voice as a writer.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
Vice President Harris is stepping up her outreach to Latino voters in the final days of the election as former President Trump grapples with the fallout from his Madison Square Garden rally.
—Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Now, the City Council is grappling with the aftermath of the latest developments, alongside routine matters of governance.
—Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
But the series also grapples with deep wells of complication around the costs of political violence, even when it’s carried out in the name of a just cause.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grapple
Dictionary Entries Near grapple
Cite this Entry
“Grapple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grapple. Accessed 22 Nov. 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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