grab 1 of 2

grab

2 of 2

noun

as in theft
an instance of theft a political activist who thinks the government's lease of public lands to logging companies amounts to an illegal land grab

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word grab different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of grab are clutch, grasp, seize, snatch, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When can clutch be used instead of grab?

Although the words clutch and grab have much in common, clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

In what contexts can grasp take the place of grab?

In some situations, the words grasp and grab are roughly equivalent. However, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

Where would seize be a reasonable alternative to grab?

The words seize and grab can be used in similar contexts, but seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

How do snatch and seize relate to one another, in the sense of grab?

Snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

When could take be used to replace grab?

The words take and grab are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grab
Verb
At the end of Blue Bloods, Danny invited his long-time partner to grab a pizza. Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 According to the National Retail Federation's survey 49% of shoppers began to grab Halloween goodies in September or even earlier, up 2% from last year. Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
No running boards or easily-accessible grab handles for getting in and out, for example, and fuel economy is pretty abysmal. New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025 Both of MacNeal’s completions on the winning drive went to Ethan Meyerhoff, who finished the game with six catches for 129 yards, including grabs of 32 and 45 yards. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grab
Verb
  • Diabate is relentless and has an uncanny knack for the ball, endearing himself to his teammates with his penchant for keeping the ball alive or snatching offense rebounds off the glass.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Multiple suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last weekend, French officials said Sunday.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Suspects have been arrested in the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris, with one apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport Saturday night, according to the Paris prosecutor.
    Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • What’s more, after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Czechs who had their property seized by the state were allowed to reclaim much of it through a restitution system – but not ethnic Germans who lost it under the post-war Benes decrees.
    Will Tizard, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
  • As my daughter’s face paled, and a man in a clown mask stalked the aisles, panic seized my limbs.
    Christa Carmen, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Manipulation, threats, acts of physical and psychological violence (to oneself and others), as well as actual body snatching, were all part of Cipher’s brand while Linklater embodied Gen V’s season two big bad.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
  • While millions are riveted by Sunday’s seven-minute jewelry heist of Napoleonic jewels at the Louvre, another major sizable snatching, the 1990 break-in at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, resurfaced in the news in a different way.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When a major cloud provider sneezes, the Internet catches a cold.
    Tasmin Lockwood,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Wide receiver Keenan Allen caught a team-leading 11 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown.
    Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ciske has also gotten creative in making sure kids can keep coming with their guardians.
    Jordyn Noennig, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The company got Turkish movie legend Mehmet Çevik as a pitchman.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The chimney, a symbol of the site’s industrial heritage, now functions as an intake for external air captured at 60 meters, which is then circulated through the bioclimatic greenhouse on the south facade, which Ruffini highlighted, and that helps to regulate internal temperatures.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Denim street style at Paris Fashion Week captured the free-spirited, anything-goes vibe of recent collections—empowering consumers to experiment with their denim looks on a whim.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Other features of the database will be landing pages for master schedules for individual schools, rosters and schedules for individual teams and a page displaying recent scores throughout the state.
    Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Denegal landed on his right shoulder when he was tackled following a 17-yard run.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grab. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on grab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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