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Showing results for grappling. Search instead for Dappling.
Synonyms

grappling

American  
[grap-ling] / ˈgræp lɪŋ /

noun

  1. grapnel.

grappling British  
/ ˈɡræplɪŋ /

noun

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

  2. a hook used for securing something

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • ungrappling adjective

Etymology

Origin of grappling

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

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.

They are all grieving the person they once thought they would be and grappling with the gulf between that and who they have become in order to provide for their children.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

European automakers have been grappling with intense competition and a struggling economy in China at the same time as U.S. tariffs have added costs across the industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

It soon came to provide crucial expertise and support to thousands of local election officials grappling with increasingly sophisticated attacks.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

Investors are also grappling with questions about what impact artificial intelligence will have on the labor market and what’s next from the Federal Reserve.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

He came over the side in time to see Captain Candless grappling with the other captain.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.