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
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
CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
The president worked with Gifford Pinchot—the US Forest Service’s first leader—on a publicity campaign in this realm, and came to appoint a commission in 1903 that held public hearings and investigations the president knew would grab headlines.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Nov. 2025
Palmhaus, set beside the resort’s 500,000-gallon Super Pool (the name is a nod to the 1984 Super Bowl hosted in Tampa), serves sandwiches and small plates alongside frozen cocktails, while all-day cafe Brew keeps early tee times and pool days fueled with coffee, pastries, and grab-and-go bites.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The species has an adhesive plate on its head that helps to create a kind of vacuum seal, allowing the fish to grab a whale and hang on for the ride.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
The president worked with Gifford Pinchot—the US Forest Service’s first leader—on a publicity campaign in this realm, and came to appoint a commission in 1903 that held public hearings and investigations the president knew would grab headlines.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Belton finished with 251 receiving yards on six grabs, adding 32 rushing yards on just three attempts.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Nov. 2025
Palmhaus, set beside the resort’s 500,000-gallon Super Pool (the name is a nod to the 1984 Super Bowl hosted in Tampa), serves sandwiches and small plates alongside frozen cocktails, while all-day cafe Brew keeps early tee times and pool days fueled with coffee, pastries, and grab-and-go bites.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab
Cite this Entry
“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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