nab

verb

ˈnab 

nabbed; nabbing

transitive verb

1

: to catch or seize in arrest : apprehend

2

: to seize suddenly

Synonyms of nab

• arrest
• seize
• grab
• apprehend
• detain

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

And there’s been growing and growing anxiety about being one of the lucky few who can nab a good job. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Fatih Akin is no stranger to the festival circuit, having wowed Berlin with his Golden Bear-winning Head-On in 2004 and nabbing best screenplay in Cannes for The Edge of Heaven in 2007. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Luminous Silk Concealer debuted in 2020 and promptly won an Allure Best of Beauty Award (then nabbed another one in 2025). — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026

Pittsburgh International Airport nabbed a top spot among North America's best medium airports based on its customer satisfaction scores, according to a recent study by JD Power. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of English dialect nap

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nab

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

Kids Definition

nab

verb

ˈnab 

nabbed; nabbing

1

: to seize and take into custody : arrest

2

: to seize suddenly

especially : steal entry 1 sense 2a