grapple with — to try hard to deal with or understand a difficult problem or issue
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to try hard to deal with or understand a difficult problem or issue
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɡræpəl wɪð/
Example Sentences
- My cat grapples with the vacuum cleaner every Sunday morning like it's a mortal enemy.
- Students often grapple with the mysteries of calculus until 3 a.m.
- He grappled with his conscience before finally confessing to eating the last slice of pizza.
grapple with
VERB[/ˈɡræpəl wɪð/]
to try hard to deal with or understand a difficult problem or issue
The young mayor must grapple with an angry crowd demanding answers about the water crisis.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'grap' meaning a hook used to seize enemy ships, later extended metaphorically to mean struggling with a difficult problem.
Breakdown
grap- (hook, seize) + -le (frequentative verb suffix, repeated action) + with (preposition)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat grapples with the vacuum cleaner every Sunday morning like it's a mortal enemy.”
“Students often grapple with the mysteries of calculus until 3 a.m.”
“He grappled with his conscience before finally confessing to eating the last slice of pizza.”
“Governments worldwide are grappling with the challenges of climate change.”
“The two toddlers grappled with each other over a single toy truck.”
📚Related Words
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