cash grab

noun

plural cash grabs

: the greedy pursuit of an opportunity for making money especially when done without regard for ethics, concerns, or consequences : money grab

Some Republican leaders have also said any attempt to undo the state's flat tax amounts to a cash grab.

—Steve LeBlanc

… money generated by single-use plastic going onto the market is being swallowed up in a cash grab … with little or no accountability or strategy underpinning it.

—Adam Leyland

also : something (such as a product or service) used for a cash grab

HBO announced a new Harry Potter TV series, and it is an obvious cash grab that is insulting to true fans.

—Victor Lana

But is it good enough to satisfy discerning taco-loving hipsters or is it simply a shameless, cultural appropriating cash grab?

—Joey Morona

It might be more feasible to just give up on college football being anything but a soulless cash grab …

—David Schraub

Examples of cash grab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most Presidents save the legacy-building cash grab for their second term, waiting a few months so as to give re-election donors a reprieve. —Philip Elliott, Time, 7 May 2026

Building and owning a home has turned from being a reasonable life goal to a complete cash grab by corrupt and mismanaged governments. —Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

The audience leans into legacy appeal, treating the sequel as a cultural reunion rather than a cash grab, with comparisons to long-gestating follow-ups like Top Gun Maverick elevating expectations. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 May 2026

At least the New York Yankees refuse to adopt City Connect jerseys for a cash grab, knowing the navy blue pinstripes are a fitting tradition. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

If the idea was pitched today, it may have been derided as a cash grab. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Always an artist to follow his muse, the 2023 show felt more like a cash grab, featuring a parade of hits engineered more to please the average Springsteen fan than an artistic journey. —David Harris, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026

The law was reformed in 2024 through a legislative deal after a pressure campaign by business groups who said the law was being exploited for cash grabs by predatory attorneys. —Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026

But their efforts are not enough to save this unnecessary sequel that smacks of a cash grab. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cash grab

• ahab
• cantab
• hijab
• kitab
• prefab
• ab
• cab
• crab
• dab
• drab
• fab
• gab