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

After signing Walker, the Chiefs nabbed former Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado on a one-year deal, then selected Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

That followed a single by Angel Genoa on a grounder up the middle that Bogaerts nabbed but threw into the Padres dugout, allowing Genoa to get to second base. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

In nabbing Purdy’s 4-yard, desperation heave before cornerback Riq Woolen could with 1 1/2 minutes to go, Tonges put himself on the NFL map as a fourth-year veteran. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

The pass bounced off the hands of Coleman Owen, and Vildor was there to nab the interception. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 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