variants or less commonly landgrab
: a usually swift acquisition of property (such as land or patent rights) often by fraud or force
land-grabber noun

Examples of land grab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Serious conflict in the West Bank—whether in the form of a new intifada or an Israeli settler land grab—alongside the devastation of Gaza, would have massive repercussions. Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2023 The speech came a year after Putin signed documents to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions in Europe’s biggest land grab since World War II. TIME, 30 Sep. 2023 Fact check: No evidence Maui wildfires intentionally set in 'land grab,' contrary to posts There is no evidence that the U.S. military arrested Hooks or presented him with an indictment as the post claims. Isabella Fertel, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2023 With most of the town torched, families will soon face the difficult decision to rebuild or to sell, a financial squeeze that some fear will lead to a land grab that will reverse Land Back gains. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023 The piecemeal nature of legalization means that the industry’s biggest companies—both domestic and international—continue to jockey for position amid a land grab for market share. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2023 In the aftermath, residents face another potential land grab from realtors and developers who might try to capitalize on the disaster. Justine Calma, The Verge, 22 Aug. 2023 The Kennedy Report acknowledged that the boarding schools’ assimilation of young Natives fed into a national land grab. Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 July 2023 Already with substantial acreage claimed this season in the NHL record book, the Bruins on Tuesday night added to their Black-and-Gold land grab with a 5-2 win over the Capitals at the Garden, lifting Boston to a league-record 133 points for the season. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'land grab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of land grab was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near land grab

Cite this Entry

“Land grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/land%20grab. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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