grab

verb

ˈgrab 

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 audience …

—Pauline 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

Synonyms of grab

• snatch
• seize
• catch
• get
• capture
• land
• snag

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

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Alphabet, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI and the sundry other rivals for the AI spoils can’t all grab a couple of points of GDP in sales, the prize built into SpaceX’s celestial cap. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 6 June 2026

Aliens on the loose, serial killer investigations, family conspiracies, abusive cults, and robots gone rogue are just a few scenarios guaranteed to grab your attention and spike your blood pressure…and they all can be found on the list below. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026

Marenco eventually went back to his room, and the woman quickly grabbed her dog to leave, the report read. —Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026

At one point, the little gorilla reached out and grabbed Roberts’ finger. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

obsolete Dutch or Low German grabben

First Known Use

circa 1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing grab

• cash grab
• grab a seat
• grab at/for
• grab bag
• grab/catch one's attention
• grab hold of
• grab the brass ring
• grab (the) headlines
• how does that grab you
• land grab
• make a grab for
• money grab
• smash-and-grab

Rhymes for grab

• ab
• cab
• crab
• dab
• drab
• fab
• gab
• jab
• lab
• mab
• nab
• rab

Kids Definition

grab

1 of 2 verb

ˈgrab 

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