grab

1 of 4

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

grab

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

a

: a sudden snatch

b

: an unlawful or unethical seizure

a grab for power

c

: something taken, seized, or grasped suddenly

2

chiefly British

a

: a device for clutching an object

b

: clamshell sense 2a

see also:

up for grabs

grab

3 of 4

adjective

1

: intended to be taken, seized, or grasped suddenly

a grab rail

2

: taken at random

grab samples of rocks

grabber

4 of 4

noun (2)

grab·​ber

-bə(r)

plural -s

: one that grabs especially unscrupulously or inconsiderately

horrified at the greed of the pension grabbers

—W. H. Upson

unscrupulous land grabbers

—L. S. B. Leakey

Synonyms of grab

Verb

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

Noun (1)

• theft
• snatching

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

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 (1)

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

Verb

Emmys nights one and two saw Widow’s Bay pick up a whopping eight trophies, one short of The Studio’s total of nine last year, and this evening might end with Widow’s Bay grabbing a lot of the same awards The Studio did last year. — Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Maresca’s players followed soon after; Iliman Ndiaye, an inspired half-time substitute, was hanging around at the back of the group when Ruben Dias grabbed him and thrust him to the front, ensuring the new signing got a deserved ovation. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Noun

Newly acquired Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Joe Veleno and Eeli Tolvanen are all set to make the team, for example, taking away several spots that otherwise would’ve been up for grabs. — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Realized belatedly that there are special prizes up for grabs in the Letterboxd League? — Vulture Editors, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun (1), and Adjective

obsolete Dutch or Low German grabben

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1849, in the meaning defined above

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