nabbed; nabbing

transitive verb

1
: to catch or seize in arrest : apprehend
2
: to seize suddenly

Examples of nab in a Sentence

We nabbed seats in the front row of the theater. the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape
Recent Examples on the Web Following the movie’s release, Barbie is now a three-time Grammy winner (thanks to the soundtrack) and has nabbed more than 450 industry nominations,including best picture at the Oscars. Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Over the course of her career (and on top of Emmy and Grammy wins and an Oscar nod), Latifah has nabbed more than 20 NAACP Image Award nominations and won four trophies. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Plus, 700 Amazon shoppers have nabbed these slippers in the past month. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Kassandra Lee Diaz has nabbed the lead role in Byron Manuel’s thriller and feature directorial debut Swoon. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 Seasonal Tax Delivery Manager – Global Employer Services All of the top 5 positions paying over the $200,000 benchmark are in the medical field with dentistry roles appearing the most frequently and general practitioners nabbing the top spot. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 Kahan nabbed his first chart double last week, when Stick Season and its title track led the respective Official Charts. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 Set out on a sailboat, book a tennis lesson, breeze along biking trails, explore the boutiques, or nab tickets for concerts and festivals to make the most of retirement in this South Carolina paradise. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2024 Bennett then nabbed his second goal with a shot from up close on the power play. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nab.' 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

perhaps alteration of English dialect nap

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nab was in 1686

Cite this Entry

“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nab. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nab

verb
nabbed; nabbing
1
: to seize and take into custody : arrest
2
: to seize suddenly
especially : steal entry 1 sense 2a

More from Merriam-Webster on nab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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