grab bag

noun

Synonyms of grab bagnext
1
: a receptacle (such as a bag) containing small articles which are to be drawn (as at a party or fair) without being seen
2
: a miscellaneous collection : potpourri

Examples of grab bag in a Sentence

Congress has proposed a grab bag of tax cuts. the festival featured a grab bag of independent films from widely disparate genres
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kiffin sat down with Vanity Fair at the beginning of the month to discuss a whole grab bag of topics, but the most sensational headlines came from his comments regarding his former employer, Ole Miss. Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026 Before bed, Agnes adds Garth’s cigarette stub to her grab bag of mementos. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026 Hello and welcome to the newsletter, a grab bag of daily content from the Odd Lots universe. Joe Weisenthal, Bloomberg, 24 Apr. 2026 Officials said the advisory is not a quake prediction but urged residents to raise their preparedness, such as emergency food and their grab bag just in case, while continuing their daily lives. CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grab bag

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grab bag was in 1855

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grab bag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab%20bag. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster