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
In recent months, burglars have hit shops in Burbank, Anaheim, Brentwood and Simi Valley, stealing anywhere from thousands to more than $100,000 worth of Pokémon and sports cards during quick smash-and-grab burglaries.
—
Amanda Starrantino,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
The adrenaline from a smash-and-grab of this kind is difficult to match.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
There have even been reports of smash-and-grab thefts of stores that stock cards.
—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Authorities are investigating another smash-and-grab at an Eagle Rock 7-Eleven, in which a truck was used to ram into the store and suspects stole an ATM, ABC7 reported.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smash-and-grab
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Amanda Starrantino,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
The adrenaline from a smash-and-grab of this kind is difficult to match.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
There have even been reports of smash-and-grab thefts of stores that stock cards.
—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Authorities are investigating another smash-and-grab at an Eagle Rock 7-Eleven, in which a truck was used to ram into the store and suspects stole an ATM, ABC7 reported.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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 3 Jul. 2026.
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