cannot grapple with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cannot grapple with" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing difficulty in understanding or dealing with a particular issue or concept. Example: "Many people cannot grapple with the complexities of quantum physics."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

A lot of young actors cannot grapple with the concept of falling in love at first sight.

The New York Times

It simply cannot grapple with a world in which reality does not come prepackaged in crisp binary packages.

Los Angeles Times

When religions make decrees and proclamations in terms of "male" and "female", it is inconvenient when gender is not clear cut, but mustn't the essential question, "Who is human?", override "Who is a man or a woman?" If religions cannot grapple with such an appropriate question, then how valid can we hold such religions?

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

It requires pausing – and then using that pause to think beyond what we can or cannot do to grapple with what we should or should not do.

Forbes

It requires pausing -- and then using that pause to think beyond what we can or cannot do to grapple with what we should or should not do.

HuffPost

"That is a point we cannot shirk from; we have to grapple with it".

The New York Times

Advances in detection and surveillance cannot come swiftly enough as researchers and public health professionals grapple with the increasing emergence of drug resistance in bacteria.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

If the public cannot have a basic understanding of the scale of the problem, how can we begin to properly grapple with the solutions?

The Guardian

Most Americans never grapple with this.

The New York Times

Watch them grapple with Jackson Pollock.

The New York Times

Thus, educators must grapple with helping students in this effort.

The International Journal of Management Education

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "cannot grapple with" when you want to express a fundamental inability to understand or effectively address a complex issue. It suggests a deeper level of difficulty than simply 'struggling' or 'finding difficult'.

Common error

Avoid using "cannot grapple with" in situations where simpler alternatives like "cannot understand" or "cannot deal with" would suffice. Overusing it can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex or pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cannot grapple with" functions as a verb phrase expressing an inability to understand, deal with, or effectively address a particular issue or concept. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is grammatically correct and is primarily used to express difficulty.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "cannot grapple with" is a grammatically correct phrase used to indicate an inability to understand or deal with a complex issue. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While relatively rare, its usage spans across news media, science and encyclopedia sources. For alternative phrasings, consider "unable to comprehend" or "struggle to understand". It's best to avoid overusing this phrase in simple contexts, as it can sound unnecessarily complex.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unable to comprehend

Focuses on a lack of understanding, simplifying the wording.

struggle to understand

Emphasizes the difficulty in achieving comprehension, adding a sense of effort.

find it hard to deal with

Highlights the difficulty in managing or handling a situation, focusing on practical application.

unable to process

Suggests a blockage in mental processing, implying a more cognitive barrier.

fail to grasp

Implies a complete lack of understanding, focusing on the failure to obtain the concept.

be at a loss to understand

Conveys a state of confusion and uncertainty, showing a more expressive inability to understand.

not able to make sense of

Focuses on the inability to find meaning or coherence, simplifying the wording.

lack the capacity to understand

Indicates an inherent limitation in understanding, highlighting a lack of potential.

be beyond one's understanding

Suggests that the topic is too complex or advanced to be understood, focusing on the extent of difficulty.

be unable to get one's head around

Emphasizes the mental effort required and the failure to achieve understanding.

FAQs

How can I use "cannot grapple with" in a sentence?

You can use "cannot grapple with" to express difficulty in understanding or dealing with a complex issue. For example, "Many people "cannot grapple with" the complexities of quantum physics".

What can I say instead of "cannot grapple with"?

You can use alternatives like "unable to comprehend", "struggle to understand", or "find it hard to deal with" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "cannot grapple with" or "cannot grapple"?

"Cannot grapple with" is the correct and more complete phrasing. "Cannot grapple" alone is less common and grammatically incomplete.

What's the difference between "cannot grapple with" and "cannot cope with"?

"Cannot grapple with" implies a difficulty in understanding or intellectually dealing with something, while "cannot cope with" refers to an inability to manage or handle a situation or problem effectively.