grappling

[grap-ling]

noun

1. grapnel.

grappling

/ ˈɡræplɪŋ /

noun

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

2. a hook used for securing something

Other Word Forms

• ungrappling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grappling¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; grapple + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

All this has left the Church of England, an institution steeped in national history and culture, but which has undergone decades of declining attendance at its services, grappling with fundamental questions.

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I recognize, of course, that life isn’t fair and that many families are grappling with circumstances far crueler than ours.

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To be fair to the BLS, declining survey response rates are a challenge statistical agencies across the globe are grappling with.

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Now, the profession is grappling with the blind spots that Toner-Rodgers has exposed.

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But as this modest drama begins, Dusty is grappling with the most crushing of blows: His cherished 200-acre family ranch in Colorado has burned down in a devastating wildfire.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• confront 
• contend 
• cope