1
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
a pickpocket nabbed my wallet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nab
Maya da Costa and Myra Molloy have nabbed lead roles in pop star Hayley Kiyoko’s movie Girls Like Girls, based on her 2015 hit song of the same name and viral music video.
—
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2025
Tarantino’s multi Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which also nabbed Pitt a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, was shot in the City of Angels and lensed at such famed landmarks as Hollywood Boulevard, the Cinerama Dome and Musso & Frank restaurant.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 June 2025
Cuomo’s polling advantage has narrowed in recent weeks as Mamdani, 33, a democratic socialist, built momentum and nabbed a key endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 19 June 2025
Sandoval-Lopez was nabbed Saturday in Passaic, sources told WNBC.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nab
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2025
Tarantino’s multi Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which also nabbed Pitt a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, was shot in the City of Angels and lensed at such famed landmarks as Hollywood Boulevard, the Cinerama Dome and Musso & Frank restaurant.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 June 2025
Cuomo’s polling advantage has narrowed in recent weeks as Mamdani, 33, a democratic socialist, built momentum and nabbed a key endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 19 June 2025
Sandoval-Lopez was nabbed Saturday in Passaic, sources told WNBC.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nab
Verb
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The men were arrested after a shooting in June on eastbound I-70 that killed 20-year-old Eduardo Alexander Alvarado Urrea of Silver Spring, state police said in a Monday news release.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
1 July 2025
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Police arrested a man for allegedly going the wrong way on Route 8 in Thomaston last week with a child in the car.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
Verb
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One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
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Watching robots like Barb and Peter grab your order in just seconds is pretty impressive, but what's even more remarkable is that this technology is already making shopping quicker, safer, and a whole lot easier.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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In 2024, the DEA seized more than 60 million counterfeit pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder nationwide — enough to deliver more than 380 million lethal doses.—
Mark Michalek,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
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Speakers at the conference, aimed at helping Republicans hold the House and Senate, seized on Mamdani’s win as a symbol of the Democratic Party’s hard-left turn, using it to paint the entire party with the same brush.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The fireball that caught the attention of people across the southeastern United States is presumed to be from a meteor fragmenting in the sky, according to meteorologists and other experts.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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That unique twist is exactly what caught the attention of Quinn Cosgrove, bass player for local Kansas band The Whips.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
28 June 2025
Verb
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What To Know The Americans, who local outlet Yonhap, reported ranged in age from their 20s to 50s, were apprehended on Friday from a restricted area on Ganghwa Island near the North Korean border.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
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He was apprehended by responding police officers a short time later.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Last year a cat was caught leaping over the sink to snatch some spaghetti from the side.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
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One night, a man on a bike unexpectedly pushed me over, snatched my phone, and rode furiously away.—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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In Florida, three had been detained at the Krome Detention Center, one at the Broward Transitional Center and one at the federal detention center in downtown Miami.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
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Until recently, federal agents working to enforce his orders have detained more immigrants with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges than those without them each week, the data shows.—
Julia Ingram,
CBS News,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nab. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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