1. To engage persistently with a difficult issue or task.
2. To seize and struggle physically with someone or something.
3. A hooked or clawed device used to grip, lift, or secure something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- grapple with a problem
- grapple with uncertainty
On the page
She grappled with the implications long after the meeting.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- grapple
- Past tense
- grappled
- Past participle
- grappled
- Present participle
- grappling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- grapple
- Present continuous
- am/is/are grappling
- Present perfect
- have/has grappled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been grappling
- Past
- grappled
- Past continuous
- was/were grappling
- Past perfect
- had grappled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been grappling
- Future
- will grapple
- Future continuous
- will be grappling
- Future perfect
- will have grappled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been grappling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: grapple; grapples; grappled; grappled; grappling Noun singular grapple; plural grapples. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: grapples.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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