Grapples meaning : A close hand-to-hand struggle; the act of grappling. To seize something and hold it firmly. To wrestle or tussle. (with with) To ponder and intensely evaluate a problem. A tool with claws or hooks which is used to catch or hold something. To fasten, as with a grapple; (by extension) to fix; to join indissolubly. To climb (whether by means of a grapple and rope, or by hand, etc). To use a grapple (for example to attempt to find, hook, and raise a net or cable). To hook and raise with a grapple.