Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat; a struggle or wrestle. It refers to the physical action of seizing, gripping, and struggling with an opponent at close quarters.
   • A sport or contest involving this type of close combat, such as wrestling or judo. It denotes the athletic discipline itself.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The two men were locked in a desperate grappling on the ground.
  • He has trained in various forms of grappling, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
  • The grappling between the political parties lasted for weeks before a compromise was reached. (Figurative use)

Advanced Usage

• "to come to grips with": This is a common figurative idiom related to the concept of grappling. It means to confront and deal with a difficult problem or issue.
  • She is finally coming to grips with the new software after weeks of training.

Variants and Related Words

• Grapple (verb): To engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons; to wrestle. To try to deal with or understand a difficult problem.
  • The firefighters grappled with the blaze for hours.
  • I'm still grappling with the instructions for this furniture.
• Grappler (noun): A person who grapples, especially a wrestler.

Synonyms

• Wrestling: The sport or act of grappling.
• Struggling: Engaging in a forceful effort.
• Scuffling: Engaging in a short, confused fight or struggle at close quarters.
• Tussle: A vigorous struggle or scuffle.

Related Phrases

• Close-quarters combat: Military or tactical term for fighting at very short range.
• Ground fighting: A phase of combat, often in martial arts, that takes place on the ground, involving extensive grappling.

Noun

1. the sport of hand-to-hand struggle between unarmed contestants who try to throw each other down
2. the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat
   • they had a fierce wrestle
   • we watched his grappling and wrestling with the bully