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

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In that moment, the smash-and-grab sound and head-bangers-on-overkill vibe of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was born. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026 The sides in fifth and sixth will host the teams in seventh and eighth in one-off matches, which definitely won’t lead to dull low blocks and smash-and-grab wins from the away side. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026 Chicago police issued a community alert Thursday about a string of smash-and-grab burglaries targeting businesses on the city's North and Northwest sides. Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026 Budgets that guarantee safe neighborhoods free of gun violence, smash-and-grab robberies and assaults. Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smash-and-grab

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Cite this Entry

“Smash-and-grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smash-and-grab. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.

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