grapple
verb (used without object)
to hold or make fast to something, as with a grapple.
was grappling
-
past progressiveof grapple.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
And for someone who was grappling with the aftermath of unexpected success, that felt familiar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Khumalo said his family was grappling with the loss, which had taken "two generations from them" in one gruesome incident.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The book draws from a period when Raicek was grappling with guilt and shame, and started spending time with new circles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
The northeast United States was grappling Tuesday with the fallout of a huge winter storm, with many schools closed and some 300,000 homes and businesses lacking power.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
It was at just this moment, when it occurred to Lazlo that he was going to die—exactly as he had been warned, impossibly, in a dream—that the ghost he was grappling with...lost solidity.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
