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
Synonyms
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 WebNathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
So grab a pen and paper and prepare to take notes on Beckham’s most notable looks ahead.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
If your wardrobe needs a few transitional outerwear pieces, grab this Universal Thread Cardigan.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
When Dozier approached, Cook grabbed the barrel of the rifle and attempted to wrestle it from Dozier’s hand, but Dozier broke free and fired as Cook attempted to run away, according to police.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
Max Homa , who was sitting in second, was stomping on a bush behind the 12th green, trying to find and grab his ball.
—Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024
Minnesota piled up 56 regular-season wins, enough to grab the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and earn home court for the team’s first-round playoff series against Phoenix.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2024
Families can grab this through takeout, while dining in, or delivery.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
For something a bit edgier, grab these dark-wash skinny jeans by Lucky Brand.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
The move will put up for grabs some prime real estate in Dade and Broward counties, where eight of the markets are located.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Sixteen out of 20 playoff and play-in seeds were still up for grabs entering the final day of the campaign, including an unprecedented three-way battle for the top spot in the Western Conference.
—Sam Joseph and Jacob Lev, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
But the sense that voters might be up for grabs is not lost on the other side.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 14 Apr. 2024
Twenty-eight delegates are up for grabs for the Democratic winner of both states.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024
None of them can catch the Pelicans for sixth in the West, but all four play-in spots are up for grabs.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
Arizona’s 11 electoral votes and Nevada’s six will be pivotal in a contest where very few states are up for grabs.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Art collectors, get egg-cited: An influential work by Argentine-Italian artist Lucio Fontana will soon be up for grabs.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
The boy’s father grabs the microphone and pumps up his son.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
So grab a pen and paper and prepare to take notes on Beckham’s most notable looks ahead.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
If your wardrobe needs a few transitional outerwear pieces, grab this Universal Thread Cardigan.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
When Dozier approached, Cook grabbed the barrel of the rifle and attempted to wrestle it from Dozier’s hand, but Dozier broke free and fired as Cook attempted to run away, according to police.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
Max Homa , who was sitting in second, was stomping on a bush behind the 12th green, trying to find and grab his ball.
—Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024
Minnesota piled up 56 regular-season wins, enough to grab the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and earn home court for the team’s first-round playoff series against Phoenix.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2024
Families can grab this through takeout, while dining in, or delivery.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
For something a bit edgier, grab these dark-wash skinny jeans by Lucky Brand.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
Two seats are up for grabs on the town council after Vice Mayor Scott Anderson and Councilmember Kathy Tilque chose not to run for reelection for their spots.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
The move will put up for grabs some prime real estate in Dade and Broward counties, where eight of the markets are located.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Sixteen out of 20 playoff and play-in seeds were still up for grabs entering the final day of the campaign, including an unprecedented three-way battle for the top spot in the Western Conference.
—Sam Joseph and Jacob Lev, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
But the sense that voters might be up for grabs is not lost on the other side.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 14 Apr. 2024
Twenty-eight delegates are up for grabs for the Democratic winner of both states.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024
None of them can catch the Pelicans for sixth in the West, but all four play-in spots are up for grabs.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
Arizona’s 11 electoral votes and Nevada’s six will be pivotal in a contest where very few states are up for grabs.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Art collectors, get egg-cited: An influential work by Argentine-Italian artist Lucio Fontana will soon be up for grabs.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near grab
Cite this Entry
“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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