nabbed; nabbing

transitive verb

1
: to catch or seize in arrest : apprehend
2
: to seize suddenly

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is when there’s a bit of a curveball: The kidnapper nabbed the wrong kid, someone named Kyle whose dad is David’s driver and friend. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Aug. 2025 His turn in The Crown nabbed him both an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025 But that didn’t stop the younger-skewing, TikTok-ready series (which had some of the best celebrity and comedian guest booking in Hollywood) from nabbing its first, and now only, nomination for technical direction and camerawork for a series. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025 DeBose, 34, nabbed a Tony nomination for her star turn as Disco Donna in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and originated roles on Broadway in Hamilton, A Bronx Tale, Motown the Musical and Bring It On: The Musical. Dave Quinn, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nab

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of English dialect nap

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nab was in 1686

Cite this Entry

“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nab. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

nab

verb
nabbed; nabbing
1
: to seize and take into custody : arrest
2
: to seize suddenly
especially : steal entry 1 sense 2a

More from Merriam-Webster on nab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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