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
Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Emmy Award-winning TV series returns with season four for even more newsroom drama, as the hit morning news program grapples with today’s ever-changing media and political landscape.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025
Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Many regions grappled with a dearth of water in 2024, the planet’s hottest year on record.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grapple
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Noun
Has anyone ever seen a mummy grapple?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Emmy Award-winning TV series returns with season four for even more newsroom drama, as the hit morning news program grapples with today’s ever-changing media and political landscape.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
The Globes have grappled with how to do justice to these two awards on a show that is already packed with prizes for both film and television.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Many regions grappled with a dearth of water in 2024, the planet’s hottest year on record.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 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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