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Glite Dictionary
🧠 To struggle mentally 🤼 To wrestle 🪝 A grabbing tool 🤼 A close fight
grapple

grapple

3 6.7
A close hand-to-hand fight often seen in wrestling
  • noun
  • /ˈɡræpəl/
translation icon : forcejeo
  • There aren't that many grappling holds or weapons used with Wing Chun, although the techniques and moves that are taught are tried and proven.

It's just a straight up semi erotic grapple.

Examples

  • I'm not interested in seeing two guys lay on each other and make no effort to advance their position, but grappling and jiu-jitsu are major components of the sport.

    Blog text (15)

  • The second round was fist-fighting, which included throws and grappling. Figg won this round by submission.

    Blog text (6)

  • Lots of grappling, all of it with Smith in top position.

    Blog text (31)

  • So I pretty much had a a grappling match with body punches for my first MMA fight.

  • It is a tight little theater of hands and arms, some martial test with formal rules of grappling.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • It doesn't teach much grappling, though, as most of the techniques use force against force through throwing and striking.

    Blog text (31)

  • We teach you or your children kickboxing and submission grappling (MMA) so that you are able to defend yourself in any situation.

    Blog text (26)

  • The former category pertains strictly to striking, but the last two are influenced by a blend of wrestling, grappling, and striking.

    Blog text (24)

  • Antonio Carvalho and Rodrigo Damm may both be BJJ black belts, but there was very little grappling in the FX opener.

    Blog text (14)

  • The two wrestlers were in a fierce grapple as they fought for victory.

Synonyms

wrestling
vsgrapple
270 1.4

A sport where two people hold, push, or throw each other to make the other person's shoulders touch the ground

applies more widely to any close struggle, not only sport
wrestle
vsgrapple
3 2.8

A physical fight where people hold and try to keep each other on the ground

focuses more on grabbing and holding during the struggle
throwdown
vsgrapple
  • NSFW
1 8.1

A sudden intense physical fight that often becomes violent

is a focused short-range struggle rather than a large violent brawl
grappling
vsgrapple
1 4.8

Fighting where people hold and wrestle each other without hitting

is a close struggle also used in general fights that may include strikes
rassle
vsgrapple
  • Informal
1 9.6

A rough playful fight like light wrestling

is a more serious close fight, not usually playful or casual
hand-to-hand struggle
vsgrapple
5.9

A close fight between people without weapons

is about seizing and holding within that close physical fight

How Intense

brawl
60 4.6
fight
∞ 1.0
grapple
3 6.7
tussle
14 4.8
scuffle
25 3.7

Surface Forms

grapple singular
grapples plural

Etymology

Grapple as a noun for a close fight comes from the same image: people 'hook' on to each other in a tight, hand-to-hand struggle, which is why it means a wrestle or fight.