[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/grapple/)

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# grapple

verb (grapple, grapples, grappled, grappling); noun (a grapple — rare)

«grapple» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To fight with someone by holding and struggling with them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#m1)
2. (grapple with) To work hard to understand or deal with a difficult problem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#m2)
3. (noun) A hook used to grab or hold something, also called a grappling hook. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#m3)

### In the lessons

Sense 2 is common in school and news: «grapple with fractions», «the town is grappling with floods». Sense 1 is used for wrestling and fights in stories, like Toad grappling with the barge-woman.

### Examples

- The two wrestlers grappled on the mat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x1)
- Pupils grappled with the tricky word problem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x2)
- The police officer grappled with the thief. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x3)
- Scientists are grappling with the problem of climate change. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x4)
- Toad grappled with the barge-woman, but she was too strong for him. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x5)
- The pirates threw grappling hooks onto the ship. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x6)
- He clutched my collar and we grappled in a death struggle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/#x7)

### Note

Regular verb: grappled, grappling. «Grapple with» is the main pattern. A «grappling hook» has several hooks on a rope, used to climb or catch hold of ships.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «grapple» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grapple/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«grapple» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/grapple.html) on Mova free.