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

Head to Amazon to nab a bottle of KimChi Chic’s Give Me Grip PDRN Primer. —Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026

Ammatoli in Long Beach and Providence in Los Angeles (the latter nabbing three Michelin stars last year) were listed for Outstanding Hospitality, and Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program names included Caruso’s in Montecito and Kato in Los Angeles. —Brock Keeling, Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026

The Beatles, the British pop rock outfit, nabbed an even 20 smashes, and for decades, the Fab Four have not faced any real competition. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

The movie just nabbed a pair of Golden Globes — Wagner Moura for best actor and best international film. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 Jan. 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