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
Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Regulatory scrutiny in Congress has increased on both sides of the aisle, as Washington grapples with high health and drug costs in Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs.
—Bertha Coombs, CNBC, 28 July 2025
Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The Fed is grappling with uncertainty over the economic impact of Trump's expansive tariff policies.
—Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
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show current usage.
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Noun
UnitedHealth Group profits fell to $3.4 billion in the second quarter as the giant provider of health benefits and services grapples with rising costs of providing health insurance to millions of Americans.
—Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Regulatory scrutiny in Congress has increased on both sides of the aisle, as Washington grapples with high health and drug costs in Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs.
—Bertha Coombs, CNBC, 28 July 2025
Verb
The league was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of George Floyd, the man who was murdered by a police officer a month after Sabally was selected by the Dallas Wings with the No. 2 pick in the virtual draft.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The Fed is grappling with uncertainty over the economic impact of Trump's expansive tariff policies.
—Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 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 4 Aug. 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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