snatch

1 of 2

verb

snatched; snatching; snatches

intransitive verb

: to attempt to seize something suddenly

transitive verb

: to take or grasp abruptly or hastily
snatch up a pen
snatched the first opportunity
also : to seize or take suddenly without permission, ceremony, or right
snatched a kiss
snatcher noun

snatch

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a brief period
caught snatches of sleep
b
: a brief, fragmentary, or hurried part : bit
caught snatches of the conversation
2
a
: a snatching at or of something
b
slang : an act or instance of kidnapping
3
: a lift in weight lifting in which the weight is raised from the floor directly to an overhead position in a single motion compare clean and jerk, press
4
vulgar : the female pudenda
Choose the Right Synonym for snatch

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 snatch in a Sentence

Verb An eagle swooped down and snatched one of the hens. She snatched the toy from his hands. Noun to the police chief, it didn't look like a snatch, but another case of a bride-to-be getting cold feet
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
StudioCanal has boarded Megalopolis, snatching up European TV and streaming rights for Francis Ford Coppola‘s latest epic. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2024 As the Indiana Pacers prepare to tipoff a new NBA season, no player on the roster is poised to snatch up more spotlight than Tyrese Haliburton. Justin L. MacK, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
While there hasn’t been a particular rash of private sales scams in the city lately, Bosques recalled a case the FBI cracked with the help of a Fremont detective who was investigating a snatch-and-grab robbery at a coffee shop in 2012. Joseph Geha, The Mercury News, 8 June 2017 The text, sung by two sopranos, may well have been in Esperanto, as only snatches were decipherable. Alan G. Artner, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2017 See all Example Sentences for snatch 

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

Middle English snacchen to snap, seize; akin to Middle Dutch snacken to snap at

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of snatch was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near snatch

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

snatch

1 of 2 verb
1
: to seize or try to seize something quickly or suddenly
2
: to grasp or take suddenly or hastily : grab
snatcher noun

snatch

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a brief period
slept in snatches
b
: something brief, hurried, or in small bits
2
: a snatching at or of something

More from Merriam-Webster on snatch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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