grabbed; grabbing
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 audience—
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
b
: to impress favorably and deeply
4
: to obtain without consideration of what is right or wrong
grab public lands
: to make a sudden snatch
grabber
noun
1
a
: a sudden snatch
b
: an unlawful or unethical seizure
a grab for power
c
: something taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
2
1
: intended to be taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
a grab rail
2
: taken at random
grab samples of rocks
Synonyms
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 WebAnna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
For something a bit edgier, grab these dark-wash skinny jeans by Lucky Brand.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The young and playful energy of the hotel extends into the public spaces, which includes a bar and shaded backyard pool deck with a food truck, where guests can grab light bites throughout the day.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Indiana governor's race:Many candidates, little time to grab voters' interest
Raising money:Indiana governor candidates have raised more than $18M.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Hard Candy Head to Walmart to grab something from the sweetly edgy drugstore darling, Hard Candy.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 3 Apr. 2024
Ross Chastain grabs the race lead shortly after the stage break restart!
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024
The incident began on Friday at about 11:20 a.m. when Keeling grabbed her neighbor's two-year-old child, locked herself and the child inside her apartment and refused to return the child, the neighbor told deputies.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2024
First, grab these Adidas sneakers that offer cushioned, cloud-like support and come in a number of colors.
—Mia Huelsbeck, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Jeremiah Smith wasn’t the only former Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna receiver who made impossible one-handed grabs during high school games.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Also up for grabs are studs, hoops, signet rings, and pendants, all of which look great paired with dress shirts, tees, and sweaters.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Apr. 2024
With the playoffs looming and seeding up for grabs, there certainly should be.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
On the Democratic side, there are 455 delegates are up for grabs on Tuesday.
—Hajah Bah, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
The winner of last summer’s $1.08-billion Powerball jackpot has been revealed — and another prize is up for grabs Saturday.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Three more $5 million prizes are still up for grabs in the Luxe game, according to the Texas Lottery.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
There are 64 delegates up for grabs for Democratic candidates.
—Abc News, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
Families can grab this through takeout, while dining in, or delivery.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
For something a bit edgier, grab these dark-wash skinny jeans by Lucky Brand.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The young and playful energy of the hotel extends into the public spaces, which includes a bar and shaded backyard pool deck with a food truck, where guests can grab light bites throughout the day.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Indiana governor's race:Many candidates, little time to grab voters' interest
Raising money:Indiana governor candidates have raised more than $18M.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Hard Candy Head to Walmart to grab something from the sweetly edgy drugstore darling, Hard Candy.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 3 Apr. 2024
Ross Chastain grabs the race lead shortly after the stage break restart!
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024
The incident began on Friday at about 11:20 a.m. when Keeling grabbed her neighbor's two-year-old child, locked herself and the child inside her apartment and refused to return the child, the neighbor told deputies.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2024
First, grab these Adidas sneakers that offer cushioned, cloud-like support and come in a number of colors.
—Mia Huelsbeck, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
Art collectors, get egg-cited: An influential work by Argentine-Italian artist Lucio Fontana will soon be up for grabs.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Jeremiah Smith wasn’t the only former Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna receiver who made impossible one-handed grabs during high school games.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Also up for grabs are studs, hoops, signet rings, and pendants, all of which look great paired with dress shirts, tees, and sweaters.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Apr. 2024
With the playoffs looming and seeding up for grabs, there certainly should be.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
On the Democratic side, there are 455 delegates are up for grabs on Tuesday.
—Hajah Bah, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
The winner of last summer’s $1.08-billion Powerball jackpot has been revealed — and another prize is up for grabs Saturday.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Three more $5 million prizes are still up for grabs in the Luxe game, according to the Texas Lottery.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
There are 64 delegates up for grabs for Democratic candidates.
—Abc News, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near grab
Cite this Entry
“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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