grabbed; grabbing
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
Pauline Kael
b
: to impress favorably and deeply
4
: to obtain without consideration of what is right or wrong
grab public lands
: to make a sudden snatch
grabber
noun
1
a
: a sudden snatch
b
: an unlawful or unethical seizure
a grab for power
c
: something taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
2
1
: intended to be taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
a grab rail
2
: taken at random
grab samples of rocks
Examples of grab in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Noun
a political activist who thinks the government's lease of public lands to logging companies amounts to an illegal land grab
Recent Examples on the Web
CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
The president worked with Gifford Pinchot—the US Forest Service’s first leader—on a publicity campaign in this realm, and came to appoint a commission in 1903 that held public hearings and investigations the president knew would grab headlines.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
Christina Manian, Health, 6 Nov. 2025
In Eastpointe, where two city council seats were up for grabs, one of two councilmembers lost a reelection bid to a newcomer for the four-year seat, according to unofficial results.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The species has an adhesive plate on its head that helps to create a kind of vacuum seal, allowing the fish to grab a whale and hang on for the ride.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
The president worked with Gifford Pinchot—the US Forest Service’s first leader—on a publicity campaign in this realm, and came to appoint a commission in 1903 that held public hearings and investigations the president knew would grab headlines.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Make Them Into a Pudding Jars of chia pudding make an excellent grab-and-go option for busy mornings, Kristen Carli, MS, RD, owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness and an outreach expert for WOWMD, told Health.
—Christina Manian, Health, 6 Nov. 2025
In Eastpointe, where two city council seats were up for grabs, one of two councilmembers lost a reelection bid to a newcomer for the four-year seat, according to unofficial results.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab
Cite this Entry
“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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