grapple

Universal Words verb 1 ~ (with sb/sth) to take a firm hold of sb/sth and struggle with them: [V] Passers-by grappled with the man after the attack. * [VN] They managed to grapple him to the ground. 2 ~ (with sth) to try hard to find a solution to a problem: [V] The new government has yet to grapple with the problem of air pollution. * [Vtoinf] I was grappling to find an answer to his question.