grapple

American  

[grap-uhl] / ˈgræp əl /

verb (used without object)

• grapples,
  present (3rd person singular)
• grappled,
  past participle,  past
• grappling
  present participle

1. to hold or make fast to something, as with a grapple.

2. to use a grapple.

3. to seize another, or each other, in a firm grip, as in wrestling; clinch.

4. to engage in a struggle or close encounter (usually followed bywith ).

   He was grappling with a boy twice his size.

5. to try to overcome or deal (usually followed bywith ).

   to grapple with a problem.

   Synonyms:

   tussle, cope, wrestle, contend, struggle

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verb (used with object)

• grapples,
  present (3rd person singular)
• grappled,
  past participle,  past
• grappling
  present participle

1. to seize, hold, or fasten with or as with a grapple.

2. to seize in a grip, take hold of.

   The thug grappled him around the neck.

noun

• grapples
  plural

1. a hook or an iron instrument by which one thing, as a ship, fastens onto another; grapnel.

2. a seizing or gripping.

3. a grip or close hold in wrestling or hand-to-hand fighting.

4. a close, hand-to-hand fight.

grapple British  

/ ˈɡræpəl /

verb

1. to come to grips with (one or more persons), esp to struggle in hand-to-hand combat

2. to cope or contend

   to grapple with a financial problem

3. (tr) to secure with a grapple

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noun

1. any form of hook or metal instrument by which something is secured, such as a grapnel

2. 1. the act of gripping or seizing, as in wrestling

   2. a grip or hold

3. a contest of grappling, esp a wrestling match

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• grappler
  noun
• intergrapple
  verb
• ungrappled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• grapples
  plural

Participles

• grappling
  present
• grappled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• grapple
  simple
• grapples
  simple
• have grappled
  perfect
• has grappled
  perfect
• am grappling
  progressive
• are grappling
  progressive
• is grappling
  progressive
• have been grappling
  perfect progressive
• has been grappling
  perfect progressive

Past

• grappled
  simple
• had grappled
  perfect
• was grappling
  progressive
• were grappling
  progressive
• had been grappling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will grapple
  simple
• will have grappled
  perfect
• will be grappling
  progressive
• will have been grappling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of grapple

1520–30; apparently a frequentative of Old English gegrǣppian to seize; associated with grapnel

Explanation

When you wrestle with something — literally or figuratively — you grapple with it, or try to overcome it. If you trace the word grapple back to its French roots, you’ll discover that the word originally referred to "a grape hook," a pronged tool used to harvest grapes. If you think about how awkward it would be to harvest grapes, with the individual grapes ready to scatter everywhere, it makes sense that grapple eventually evolved to include a verb form used to describe struggling with something unruly. You might grapple with a budget shortfall, grapple for answers, grapple with a wrestling opponent, or grapple with a new technology.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grapple grapples grappled grappling

He enslaved more than 100 people at Mount Vernon, and historians continue to grapple with the contradiction between the nation’s founding ideals and the human bondage practiced by its first president, among his strong mythology.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Analysts had expected a 0.1 percent uptick in retail sales in July, and all eyes are on US consumer health as households grapple with inflation while drawing down on their savings.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The family must grapple with a dwindling stockpile of resources and the mysterious “threat” that keeps them trapped inside the home, the statement read.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Those desks have seen, and could continue to see, a surge of activity and fees as markets grapple with rapidly shifting expectations for rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

As biologists rushed to embrace Mendel’s laws and grapple with their consequences, Galton adopted a rather benign indifference to them.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Experts say the abrupt about-face on California’s once-heralded nuclear exit reflects a broader trend as the state grapples with an electricity future almost no one saw coming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

He takes over as the airline grapples with a series of safety and operational challenges, led by last June's fatal Ahmedabad-London crash, a major setback to its ambitions.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

The Reserve Bank of India will deliver its closely-watched monetary policy decision on Wednesday, as the central bank grapples with inflationary risks against the backdrop of economic uncertainties for growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Finding the right balance between supporting family caregivers and keeping costs under control will be a continuing struggle as the U.S. grapples with the need for care for aging baby boomers.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

As they drew near enough to use their grapples, the captain mounted the rail.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

In their grief, Schreiber’s family has turned to the questions Jake grappled with his whole life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Home sales declined in June, ending the housing market’s key spring season on a sour note as buyers grappled with high mortgage rates and record home prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The shift came as the world's biggest economy grappled with fallout from war in the Middle East, while imports of tech goods linked to the country's data center buildout remained strong.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

"I grappled with what was the best thing to do for me, for the country, for the government," Sir Keir said.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

The way they grappled, it didn’t seem like the stranger would be able to hold Mr. Flux very long.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

You have got one who focuses mainly on wrestling and grappling, the other who focuses on striking and anti-grappling.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

It is also stretching the region’s infrastructure, power grids and an economy unaccustomed to mass tourism, at a time it is also grappling with the threat of wildfires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

"Costs across Edinburgh in August have risen significantly, particularly accommodation, and our festivals are actively grappling with those issues - albeit with no direct control over them," she explained.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Long-standing Olvera Street businesses are grappling with low foot traffic, plummeting sales and falling behind on rent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The pines threw their roots around the shore’s boulders, grappling with the living rocks and wrestling them into position.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

• confront
• contend
• cope