nab

verb

ˈnab 

nabbed; nabbing

transitive verb

1

: to catch or seize in arrest : apprehend

2

: to seize suddenly

Synonyms of nab

• arrest
• seize
• grab
• apprehend
• detain

Examples of nab in a Sentence

We nabbed seats in the front row of the theater.

the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape

Recent Examples on the Web

For nearly all of those projects, Singh presses Norwich’s legislative delegation to help nab state grants. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

But these ventures are tiny compared to the ranchlands, timberlands, and cropfields many one-percenters are nabbing. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

Finishing in 32nd place and nabbing the highest draft lottery odds still matter — even if the persistent betrayal of the NHL’s draft lottery balls remains an open wound in this market. — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Later in the video, Reynolds and friends helped the raccoon nab a hot dog lying next to the hole by pushing it in, then offered another — both of which slid into the concrete hole effortlessly. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of English dialect nap

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nab

• ab
• cab
• crab
• dab
• drab
• fab
• gab
• grab
• jab
• lab
• mab
• rab

Kids Definition

nab

verb

ˈnab 

nabbed; nabbing

1

: to seize and take into custody : arrest

2

: to seize suddenly

especially : steal entry 1 sense 2a