grab at/for
phrasal verb
grabbed at/for; grabbing at/for; grabs at/for
: to quickly stretch out one's hand and try to touch or hold (something or someone)
People were grabbing at her as she walked through the crowd.
He grabbed for the ball and missed.
—often used figurativelyWe grabbed at the chance to go.
political parties grabbing for power
Examples of grab at/for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Realize that despite all the legend and lore and heart-stirring music, this tourney filled with Davids is ultimately a grab for Goliath.
—
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Spring Fling Candy Dish Fill this candy dish with M&M’s or chocolate eggs for your guests to grab for a little treat.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
From a rose quartz roller that's 50% off to a stress-relieving back massager, these luxurious self-care items are also the perfect gift to grab for yourself or any parent in your life who could use a moment (or two) of calm.
—Amy Stanford, Parents, 1 Feb. 2024
Everywhere containers were in motion; massive gantry cranes reached out over ships to grab at steel boxes like hungry horses.
—Malia Wollan, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024
The veteran Rodman anchored USC’s defensive performance by responding to a pregame challenge from Enfield, who called for the forward to grab at least 10 rebounds against the Beavers.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2024
And for Asia, if China’s Xi Jinping is emboldened and makes a military grab for Taiwan, leading Japanese, South Korean, Australian and Indian submarines to join U.S. and Taiwanese subs in choking off all China’s imports.
—Ed Lotterman, Idaho Statesman, 24 Jan. 2024
Most of those are $10 ear buds that people grab at big box stores like Walmart or at airport stores.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
On the next Bruins series, Garbers connected with J. Michael Sturdivant on a 39-yard pass that was completed with Sturdivant’s lunging grab at the Boise four-yard line.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2023
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Spring Fling Candy Dish Fill this candy dish with M&M’s or chocolate eggs for your guests to grab for a little treat.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
From a rose quartz roller that's 50% off to a stress-relieving back massager, these luxurious self-care items are also the perfect gift to grab for yourself or any parent in your life who could use a moment (or two) of calm.
—Amy Stanford, Parents, 1 Feb. 2024
Everywhere containers were in motion; massive gantry cranes reached out over ships to grab at steel boxes like hungry horses.
—Malia Wollan, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024
The veteran Rodman anchored USC’s defensive performance by responding to a pregame challenge from Enfield, who called for the forward to grab at least 10 rebounds against the Beavers.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2024
And for Asia, if China’s Xi Jinping is emboldened and makes a military grab for Taiwan, leading Japanese, South Korean, Australian and Indian submarines to join U.S. and Taiwanese subs in choking off all China’s imports.
—Ed Lotterman, Idaho Statesman, 24 Jan. 2024
Most of those are $10 ear buds that people grab at big box stores like Walmart or at airport stores.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
On the next Bruins series, Garbers connected with J. Michael Sturdivant on a 39-yard pass that was completed with Sturdivant’s lunging grab at the Boise four-yard line.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grab at/for.' 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 at/for
Cite this Entry
“Grab at/for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab%20at%2Ffor. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share