smash-and-grab
adjective
chiefly British
—used to describe a robbery that is done by breaking a window of a car, store, etc., and stealing whatever can be taken quickly
a smash-and-grab robbery/thief
Examples of smash-and-grab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chicago police are searching for a smash-and-grab crew that targeted two clothing stores on the city's West Side earlier this month.
—
Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Nov. 2025
Grand Canyon got a controversial goal in the 88th minute from superstar Senegalese freshman Junior Diouf in a classic smash-and-grab victory followed by a heated fracas at midfield between the teams.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
The heist in Dresden's Green Vault was Europe’s most notorious smash-and-grab art theft − until the Louvre Museum in Paris was ransacked Oct. 19.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 1 Nov. 2025
At first glance, Sunderland’s 2-1 win at Chelsea looks like a smash-and-grab upset.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smash-and-grab
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.
Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Nov. 2025
Grand Canyon got a controversial goal in the 88th minute from superstar Senegalese freshman Junior Diouf in a classic smash-and-grab victory followed by a heated fracas at midfield between the teams.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
The heist in Dresden's Green Vault was Europe’s most notorious smash-and-grab art theft − until the Louvre Museum in Paris was ransacked Oct. 19.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 1 Nov. 2025
At first glance, Sunderland’s 2-1 win at Chelsea looks like a smash-and-grab upset.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smash-and-grab
Cite this Entry
“Smash-and-grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smash-and-grab. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share