grapple
Americanverb (used without object)
-
grapples,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grappled,
past participle, past
-
grappling
present participle
-
to hold or make fast to something, as with a grapple.
-
to use a grapple.
-
to seize another, or each other, in a firm grip, as in wrestling; clinch.
-
to engage in a struggle or close encounter (usually followed bywith ).
He was grappling with a boy twice his size.
-
to try to overcome or deal (usually followed bywith ).
to grapple with a problem.
verb (used with object)
-
grapples,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grappled,
past participle, past
-
grappling
present participle
-
to seize, hold, or fasten with or as with a grapple.
-
to seize in a grip, take hold of.
The thug grappled him around the neck.
noun
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grapples
plural
-
a hook or an iron instrument by which one thing, as a ship, fastens onto another; grapnel.
-
a seizing or gripping.
-
a grip or close hold in wrestling or hand-to-hand fighting.
-
a close, hand-to-hand fight.
verb
-
to come to grips with (one or more persons), esp to struggle in hand-to-hand combat
-
to cope or contend
to grapple with a financial problem
-
(tr) to secure with a grapple
noun
-
any form of hook or metal instrument by which something is secured, such as a grapnel
-
-
the act of gripping or seizing, as in wrestling
-
a grip or hold
-
-
a contest of grappling, esp a wrestling match
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
grapplesimple
-
grapplessimple
-
have grappledperfect
-
has grappledperfect
-
am grapplingprogressive
-
are grapplingprogressive
-
is grapplingprogressive
-
have been grapplingperfect progressive
-
has been grapplingperfect progressive
Past
-
grappledsimple
-
had grappledperfect
-
was grapplingprogressive
-
were grapplingprogressive
-
had been grapplingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing grapple
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Afterward, we were left to grapple with what this bizarre saga had meant.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
She says the use of AI in job applications is a "moral dilemma" that employers and employees will continue to grapple with.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
On the other hand, Wall Street now has to grapple with the risk that slower job growth and the Fed’s previous rate increase could contribute to a more serious economic slowdown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
“I’d like to bring forward some of those ideas and that willingness to grapple with those problems.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Behind this thought there was a worse one, with which be dared not grapple.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Japan has registered a record number of foreigners living in the country this year despite growing anti-immigration sentiment, as the country grapples with problems caused by an ageing and shrinking population.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Watching a new Oscar contender: La Bola Negra is a sprawling Spanish epic that grapples with the links between fascism and homophobia.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
But she also grapples with how to use AI.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Kraft and the other analysts at Deutsche Bank made their assessment as the film and TV industry grapples with consolidation, a production pullback in Hollywood and the possible impact of artificial intelligence on entertainment jobs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
As they drew near enough to use their grapples, the captain mounted the rail.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Coxon, who previously worked at Anthropic’s competitor OpenAI, noted that OpenAI had not grappled with “the civilizational stakes.”
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
The sport has long grappled with the issue of retaining the attention and excitement it generates at the Olympics throughout those four-year cycles.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
States have grappled for years with how to regulate social-media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, that have become incredibly popular among young users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
In 2024, Medford High School in Boston grappled with chronic absenteeism.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
Lord Roke pushed himself back against the nearest rock, and Mrs. Coulter grappled directly with the witch.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Donald Trump's sharing of an AI-generated video of him grappling with a tiger leads the Daily Star.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Investors are grappling with the possibility that the copious investment dollars poured into chips and hardware could dry up.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
She added: “We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Investors in Chipotle, which has been grappling with rising labor costs and food-price inflation, appeared less pleased that the deal talk was off: Its shares dropped 3.8%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The chief mate was wrestling with Camey, grunting, grappling, each trying to get a hold on the other.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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