Join free

grapple

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

grapple¹

  • /ˈɡɹæpəl/ US, UK

Rhymes with -æpəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English *grapplen (“to seize, lay hold of”), from Old English *græpplian (“to seize”) (compare Old English ġegræppian (“to seize”)), from Proto-Germanic *graipilōną, *grabbalōną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to take, seize, rake”), equivalent to grab + -le.

Cognate with Dutch grabbelen (“to grope, scramble, scrabble”), German grabbeln (“to rummage, grope about”) and grapsen, grapschen (“to seize, grasp, grabble”). Influenced in some senses by grapple (“tool with claws or hooks”, noun) (see below). See further at grasp.

verb grapples · grappling · grappled · graple

  1. transitive To seize something and hold it firmly.
  2. intransitive To wrestle or tussle.
  3. figuratively, with with To ponder and intensely evaluate a problem; to struggle to deal with. to grapple with one's conscience

noun grapples · graple

  1. countable, uncountable A close hand-to-hand struggle.
  2. countable, uncountable The act of grappling. (uncountable)

grapple²

  • /ˈɡɹæpəl/ US, UK

Rhymes with -æpəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English *grapple, *graple, from Old French grappil (“a ship's grapple”) (compare Old French grappin (“hook”)), from Old French grape, grappe, crape (“hook”), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *krappō (“hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *grep- (“hook”), *gremb- (“crooked, uneven”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, bend, twist”). See further at grape. Influenced in some senses by grapple (“seize”, verb) (see above).

noun grapples · graple

  1. A device consisting of iron claws, attached to the end of a rope, used for grasping and holding an enemy ship prior to boarding; a grappling iron.
  2. A grapnel (“type of anchor”).

verb grapples · grappling · grappled · graple

  1. transitive To fasten, as with a grapple; (by extension) to fix; to join indissolubly. The gallies were grapled to the Centurion.
  2. intransitive, transitive To climb (whether by means of a grapple and rope, or by hand, etc). Sam quickly geared up and placed the first hook. “I am coming as well,” Alicia announced. […] Sam planted the anchor and then grappled down as Alicia struggled to move more than a foot or shift down.
  3. intransitive To use a grapple (for example to attempt to find, hook, and raise a net or cable). The following days I spent patrolling the river and grappling for nets. On Wednesday , 18th July , left Gananoque at 7 a.m.; patrolled down to Rockport, […]
  4. intransitive, transitive To hook and raise with a grapple. The place where the cable got jammed and broken at the bottom was two or three miles from where I grappled up the cable the first time. I do not, of course, know for certain whether rocks with crevices exist.

grapple³

  • /ˈɡɹæpəl/ US, UK

Rhymes with -æpəl

Where it comes from

Blend of grape + apple.

noun graple

  1. uncountable A combination of grape and apple flavors. Lady Cheron looks at the cupboards. Both apple butter and apple jelly, as well as "grapple" (grape-apple) jelly are sitting in little mason jars on the top shelf.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: wrestle, grip, wrestling, make do, contend, cope, manage, get by, grappling hook, make out, grappling iron, grapnel, deal, clamshell, hand-to-hand struggle, seize

Translations

Every language

verb to seize and hold firmly

日本語押え込む osaekomu
Portuguêsagarrar
Françaisagripper, saisir
Deutschpacken, ergreifen
Românăînșfăca, înhăța
Русскийсхва́тывать sxvátyvatʹ, схвати́ть sxvatítʹ, ухва́тывать uxvátyvatʹ, ухвати́ть uxvatítʹ, захва́тывать zaxvátyvatʹ, захвати́ть zaxvatítʹ

verb to wrestle or struggle

Españolforcejear, forcejar
Portuguêslutar
Deutschringen, kämpfen, raufen
Românăa se lupta
Русскийборо́ться borótʹsja, схвати́ться sxvatítʹsja, сцепи́ться scepítʹsja
العربيةتَصَارَعَ taṣāraʕa, صَارَعَ ṣāraʕa

verb to ponder and intensely evaluate a problem

Españolforcejear, forcejar
Portuguêsabordar, lidar
Deutschauseinandersetzen, herumschlagen, ringen
Românăa se lupta cu (ceva)
العربيةتَعَامَلَ taʕāmala

noun a close hand-to-hand struggle

Españolforcejón
Françaislutte, combat
DeutschRauferei
Italianolotta
Românăluptă

noun act of grappling

Españolforcejeo, forcejo
Portuguêsagarramento
Françaisabordage
DeutschRingen
Italianopresa, stretta
Русскийхва́тка xvátka

noun tool with claws or hooks

Españolarpeo
Françaisgrappin
DeutschEnterhaken
Italianorampino, raffio
Русскийко́шка kóška

verb to fasten, as with a grapple

Deutschverankern, einhaken

verb to climb

Deutschkrabbeln

verb to use a grapple to attempt to find sth.

Deutschfischen, angeln

verb to hook and raise with a grapple

Deutschan den Haken nehmen

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"grapple." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/grapple. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

grapple. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/grapple

Chicago

"grapple." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/grapple.

BibTeX
@misc{grapple_2026,
  title = {grapple},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/grapple},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}