as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
the festival featured a grab bag of independent films from widely disparate genres
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Recent Examples of grab bag
One of the best ideas for company gifting is to see who might want to participate in a gift exchange, and then everyone brings a grab bag gift.
—
Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
The mystery grab bags have always been popular, but the brand took a three-year hiatus during the pandemic before bringing back the seasonal item—much to the excitement of fans—in 2023.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
The Celtics will hope to hit on at least one of several small bets on a grab bag of mildly interesting players (Luka Garza, Josh Minott, Chris Boucher, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and late first-rounder Hugo González).
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
But at his recent press conference, the President stood at the dais and delivered a barrage of falsehoods that might not be obviously false to most Americans—misrepresenting evidence on autism, distorting research on vaccines, and offering a grab bag of unscientific medical opinions.
—Dr. Craig Spencer, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab bag
Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
The mystery grab bags have always been popular, but the brand took a three-year hiatus during the pandemic before bringing back the seasonal item—much to the excitement of fans—in 2023.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
The Celtics will hope to hit on at least one of several small bets on a grab bag of mildly interesting players (Luka Garza, Josh Minott, Chris Boucher, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and late first-rounder Hugo González).
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
But at his recent press conference, the President stood at the dais and delivered a barrage of falsehoods that might not be obviously false to most Americans—misrepresenting evidence on autism, distorting research on vaccines, and offering a grab bag of unscientific medical opinions.
—Dr. Craig Spencer, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab bag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grab bag
Noun
-
First found in the 1930s, this interpretation was later validated by a wide variety of laboratory experiments.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Jan. 2026
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The menu has shifted to more small plates and skewers, with meats like chicken, shrimp, fish and wagyu beef and a variety of different vegetables.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Who’s Next trade show continued to spread its wings, leaning further into demand for broader assortments as retailers seek opportunities to up the lifestyle quotient in stores and cultivate a community vibe that brings consumers back time after time.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
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In states like Florida that have robust school-choice programs, funding is beginning to follow students to a much wider assortment of learning environments.—
Kerry McDonald,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After applauding the win, Murphy didn’t stay to watch Hudson win her category (Best Supporting Actress) or to enjoy his costars’ medley of the film’s three Best Original Song nominees, resulting in speculation he was angered by his loss.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
3 Jan. 2026
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Here's where to base yourself while discovering Portugal's vast medley of landscapes.—
Deanna Romano,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Those intensive collages implied, and even staged, his successive incarnations across six decades of musical self-reinvention.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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In practice, that meant something similar to his past records—fragments of human voices breaking through collages of tape loops and glitchy errata, warmed by colorful sequences of alien synth work.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That experiment has been a mixed bag, with the Leafs still desperately missing Marner’s game-breaking skill set.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Tigers' nine wins have been a mixed bag as well, with only two against Power Four opponents.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The unique blend of barrels gives birth to an especially aromatic malt, awash in sage and incense, and arriving on the tongue with gentle threads of ginger and smoked coconut.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The 84 rooms and suites are a seamless blend of Art Deco and modern, with elegant blacks, browns, and creams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grab bag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grab%20bag. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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