grab

1 of 3

verb

grabbed; grabbing

transitive verb

1
: to take or seize by or as if by a sudden motion or grasp
grab up an ax
grabbed the opportunity
grab attention
2
: to take hastily
grab a bite to eat
grab a cab
3
a
: to seize the attention of
the technique of grabbing an audiencePauline Kael
b
: to impress favorably and deeply
4
: to obtain without consideration of what is right or wrong
grab public lands

intransitive verb

: to make a sudden snatch
grabber noun

grab

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a sudden snatch
b
: an unlawful or unethical seizure
a grab for power
c
: something taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
2
chiefly British
a
: a device for clutching an object

grab

3 of 3

adjective

1
: intended to be taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
a grab rail
2
: taken at random
grab samples of rocks
Phrases
up for grabs
: available for anyone to take, win, or settle
A lot of voters are still up for grabs.
Choose the Right Synonym for grab

take, seize, grasp, clutch, snatch, grab mean to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand.

take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

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

grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

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

snatched a doughnut and ran

grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

Examples of grab in a Sentence

Verb I have to go back in the house and grab my car keys. The little boy grabbed onto his mother's leg and wouldn't let go. I'll grab a taxi and meet you there. Let's grab a bite to eat before the movie starts. The store had a lot of nice stuff, but nothing really grabbed me. The play grabs the audience from the opening scene. One player in particular has been grabbing a lot of attention lately. Noun a political activist who thinks the government's lease of public lands to logging companies amounts to an illegal land grab
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In New York, the nation’s largest TV market, the fall classic grabbed a 13.2/37 in the same measures — meaning that a far bigger proportion of L.A. TV viewers were tuned in to the game live than were Yankees fans in New York. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Oct. 2024 Indiana almost certainly wouldn’t have grabbed a victory without him. Tony East, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
The result means Norris has trimmed the gap to Verstappen by 10 points to 47 with four races left and 120 points up for grabs. Dan Cancian, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 Voters in Uruguay, one of the most politically stable countries in Latin America, go to the polls Sunday to decide on a new president and on a major pension reform — with all 129 congressional seats also up for grabs. Marina E. Franco (noticias Telemundo For Axios), Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grab 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

obsolete Dutch or Low German grabben

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grab was circa 1581

Dictionary Entries Near grab

Cite this Entry

“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

grab

1 of 2 verb
grabbed; grabbing
: to take hastily : clutch, snatch
grabber noun

grab

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a sudden snatch
b
: an unlawful or forceful taking of something
a land grab
c
: something grabbed
2
: a device for clutching an object

More from Merriam-Webster on grab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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