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
Later in the same fourth round, the Panthers also picked up another left winger, grabbing Shea Busch, an 18-year-old committed to Penn State University, with the No. 128 pick. Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025 The Wings grabbed a lead on an and-one bucket by JJ Quinerly with 5 minutes, 29 seconds remaining. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 June 2025
Noun
By contrast, Israel’s unplanned war in Gaza has seen no such resolution and steadily devolved into a messianic power grab by Israel’s far right. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025 The political trajectory of the city is genuinely up for grabs. Eric Lach, New Yorker, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for grab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grab
Verb
  • Last year a cat was caught leaping over the sink to snatch some spaghetti from the side.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
  • Shaevitz’s Toot went from underdog to semi-finalist, nearly making it to the end to snatch the $200,000 grand prize.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Vehicle break-in/theft, 2700 block Magnolia Ave., 3:45 a.m. • Vehicle break-in/theft, 3100 block Mission Blvd., 10:30 a.m. • Misdemeanor disorderly conduct: alcohol, 1800 block Garnet Ave., 3:52 p.m.
    Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025
  • These conspiracy theorists have participated in the theft of a mother's joy.
    Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • As New York closed in on Tuesday's vote, more investors got nervous as the polls showed Mamdani was leading.
    Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 26 June 2025
  • Daniels gets his guy Aiyuk, who's the younger, and potentially better receiver.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • And listing this doesn’t capture the sheer violation of humanity: ripping babies away from their mothers, damaging trans kids by denying them access to medical care, and abetting food apartheid by working to eliminate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
    Michael Pfleger, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
  • Police previously captured the other eight escapees following the May 16 jailbreak, one of the largest in recent U.S. history.
    JIM MUSTIAN, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • Jones sustained the injury after landing on Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb’s foot on a shot attempt at the 8:35 mark of the second quarter on Thursday.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
  • There’s very little chance the club’s top selection (currently landing in the third round) will have any impact on the Oilers’ fortunes before the end of the decade.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Plus, snag the Bedsure Travel Blanket With Eye Mask that’s basically a three-for-one deal—you’ll get a travel blanket, pillow, and eye mask, all for just $16 with on-site code.
    Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
  • But this fish somehow came up right to the surface and then went back to the bottom and the line got snagged twice.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grab. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on grab

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