grab 1 of 2

verb

ˈgrab How to pronounce grab (audio)
Definition of grabnext
as in to snatch
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly don't grab my arm like that

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grab

2 of 2

noun

as in theft
an instance of theft a political activist who thinks the government's lease of public lands to logging companies amounts to an illegal land grab

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word grab different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of grab are clutch, grasp, seize, snatch, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When can clutch be used instead of grab?

Although the words clutch and grab have much in common, clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

In what contexts can grasp take the place of grab?

In some situations, the words grasp and grab are roughly equivalent. However, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

Where would seize be a reasonable alternative to grab?

The words seize and grab can be used in similar contexts, but seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

How do snatch and seize relate to one another, in the sense of grab?

Snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

When could take be used to replace grab?

The words take and grab are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of grab
Verb
Check in and grab a wagon to transport your bags yourself to your cabin or Airstream. —Jenny Willden, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026 The moment a 19-month-old baby is grabbed from the street in Fullerton after falling from a moving car. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
Stop the $400,000-plus FDNY and $600,000-plus NYPD pension grabs, which are unsustainable and outlandish. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2026 Seattle eventually clinched the NFC title when time ran out on Los Angeles after Puka Nacua's 21-yard grab to try and set the Rams up for a Hail Mary attempt. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grab
  1. snatch
  2. theft
  3. seize
  4. snatching
  5. catch
  6. get
  7. capture
  8. land
Verb
  • In a moving tribute on Facebook, Crispin mourned the future that was snatched away from them.
    — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Some fish, for instance, may be determined to exploit the octopus’s efforts, such as trying to snatch prey that the octopus has uncovered but not yet captured.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of snatch
Noun
  • Another alleged member of the Latin Kings was charged in federal court in the District of Minnesota this month with being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft of government property after breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing a rifle.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • There’s also the Travelon Anti-theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag designed to outsmart pickpockets, plus the Taygeer Travel Backpack that can easily replace your carry-on.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of theft
Verb
  • The Revolutionary Guard holds vast business interest across Iran, and sanctions could allow its assets in Europe to be seized.
    — SAM McNEIL AND JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Gabbard was photographed in Fulton County on the day of the raid as the FBI seized 2020 election ballots.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of seize
Noun
  • Many Londoners have firsthand experience of phone-snatching or have witnessed the surge in shoplifting documented by the Office for National Statistics.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Polls show that Londoners broadly feel safe in their town, although property theft, particularly phone snatching and shoplifting, has leapt up in recent years.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of snatching
Verb
  • Not long after being resentenced, Thompson escaped from the Harris County Jail in Houston and spent three days on the run before being caught.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • This is the wrong time to be caught in these situations.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of catch
Verb
  • To me, quality can be part of the formula to get audience.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Also, the cold weather is forecast to get much worse from Sunday, with temperatures dropping even further and making the time frame for a pause in attacks hard to understand.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
Definition of get
Verb
  • One photographer visited Uganda and captured the striking image of a mountain of snares, used to trap wildlife and confiscated by the nation’s rangers.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
  • That distinction captures the precarious foundation of today’s AI economy, which runs on venture-capital FOMO, not paying customers.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of capture
Verb
  • The 20-year-old artist tackled the track in-studio alongside his band, just one week after landing inside the top 10 of Australia’s annual Hottest 100 countdown himself.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2026
  • And now Daboll is in Tennessee, coaching the quarterback the Giants tried and failed to land atop the draft.
    — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Definition of land

Phrases Containing grab

Browse Nearby Words

gownsmen
grab
grab bag
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Cite this Entry

“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grab. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on grab

Nglish: Translation of grab for Spanish Speakers

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