as in snatched
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
don't grab my arm like that
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Recent Examples of grabbed
Investigators later learned Hissom and her male passenger, who was wounded, were caught in a crossfire as a group of four or five men grabbed weapons from a vehicle and began firing at each other.
—
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Aristide then allegedly charged at his brother, grabbed him by the neck and forced him to the ground, according to the report.
—Mauricio Maldonado, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
The two teens fought until the suspect’s friend, who sported dreadlocks, grabbed the suspect’s weapon and opened fire, hitting the victim twice.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Leia grabbed a ratchet wrench and tightened some loose bolts on the ship.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Recently, Xylem’s work has grabbed the attention of data center developers.
—Time Contributors, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
After Woodson Cox Ranzy struck him in the head, Ranzy grabbed a gun off a bed and started shooting, Ranzy’s attorney, Alexander Vian, said.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 29 Apr. 2026
First elected to the Florida House in 1980, Webster became House Speaker in 1996, the year Republicans grabbed control of the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Stephens and her daughter had gone to bed when Knight grabbed knives from the kitchen, walked into their bedroom and attacked the woman as her daughter lay next to her.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Aristide then allegedly charged at his brother, grabbed him by the neck and forced him to the ground, according to the report.
—Mauricio Maldonado, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
The two teens fought until the suspect’s friend, who sported dreadlocks, grabbed the suspect’s weapon and opened fire, hitting the victim twice.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Leia grabbed a ratchet wrench and tightened some loose bolts on the ship.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Recently, Xylem’s work has grabbed the attention of data center developers.
—Time Contributors, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
After Woodson Cox Ranzy struck him in the head, Ranzy grabbed a gun off a bed and started shooting, Ranzy’s attorney, Alexander Vian, said.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 29 Apr. 2026
First elected to the Florida House in 1980, Webster became House Speaker in 1996, the year Republicans grabbed control of the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Stephens and her daughter had gone to bed when Knight grabbed knives from the kitchen, walked into their bedroom and attacked the woman as her daughter lay next to her.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grabbed
Verb
-
Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Chicago Cubs center fielder Rick Monday snatched an American flag from two men who intended to set it afire during the fourth inning in the outfield at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Edward Burke — then seized control of City Council and approved a new lineup of committee chairs and leaders.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Police stormed the gallery and seized two canvases—The Naked Man, depicting a nude youth gripping a monstrous phallus, and The Big Night Down the Drain, showing a Hitler-like figure masturbating.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Gonzales drove a first-pitch slider to left, and Church jumped and caught the ball above the top of the 6-foot wall, 373 feet from home plate.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
That’s what kept his head on straight in the trenches, even when his socks got bogged down with mud and soldiers flanked on either side of him caught shrapnel or pneumonia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
In 2024, the pygmy hippo Moo Deng in Thailand captured hearts around the world with her water splashing, knee-biting antics spreading like wildfire on TikTok and other platforms.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Edwards had just landed hard after attempting to block a shot.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
During his tenure at Daqo New Energy, the Chinese manufacturing magnate landed in hot water with the federal government multiple times over his links to the Chinese Communist Party’s repression of religious and ethnic minorities.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Luke Kornet got the Game 3 start against the Trail Blazers in Wembanyama’s absence, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.—
Anne M. Peterson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Onyemata was one of the free-agent signings the Jets got the most praise for — a rock-solid veteran defensive tackle who can help in both the run and pass game.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her remains were found by two kayakers who were fishing after one of their lines snagged a bag in mangroves near the interstate.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Nahida Bristy’s remains were found Sunday in a garbage bag discovered by a kayaker whose fishing line got snagged, said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.—
Mike Schneider,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grabbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grabbed. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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