as in seizes
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 grabs
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Maya Hawke grabs her guitar and gets in front of the mic at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on April 13.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Fast-paced and addictive, her writing grabs you from the get-go, taking you on a wild roller-coaster ride that delivers one whiplash plot twist after another.
—E.l. James, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Ellie grabs the wrong squeeze bottle and drizzles the eggs with dish soap instead.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Then Sadie runs back into the house, grabs one of her toys and brings it over to Koch in the doorway with her tail wagging.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
This hearty dish grabs extra flavor from browning the pork chops very well in the skillet in order to produce a flavorful pan sauce with mustard and cream.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Think about how many times a day everyone in your household touches a light switch or grabs the remote.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
Frank Ramsey leads the Celtics with 24 points and Bill Russell scores 22 points and grabs 35 rebounds.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
The position remains up for grabs because of inconsistency.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
The Emmys are back up for grabs.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
But Swalwell’s exit puts his voters up for grabs among his Democratic rivals and opens up a possibility of another leading Democrat surging ahead.
—John Woolfolk, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Charlotte is also 22-9 this season when posting an offensive rebounding percentage (the percentage of available offensive rebounds a team grabs) of 38 percent or better.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Primary election ballots will begin hitting California voters’ mailboxes in just a few weeks, and Swalwell’s campaign had been gaining steam and financial support that may now be up for grabs by other candidates.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
More than ever, most characters’ humanity is up for grabs.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
And the hourglasses now up for grabs here also have a clearer glass than previous offerings.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
Keep those rosary beads handy whenever Aaron Gordon grabs his hammy.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Maya Hawke grabs her guitar and gets in front of the mic at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on April 13.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Fast-paced and addictive, her writing grabs you from the get-go, taking you on a wild roller-coaster ride that delivers one whiplash plot twist after another.
—E.l. James, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Ellie grabs the wrong squeeze bottle and drizzles the eggs with dish soap instead.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Then Sadie runs back into the house, grabs one of her toys and brings it over to Koch in the doorway with her tail wagging.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
This hearty dish grabs extra flavor from browning the pork chops very well in the skillet in order to produce a flavorful pan sauce with mustard and cream.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Think about how many times a day everyone in your household touches a light switch or grabs the remote.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
Frank Ramsey leads the Celtics with 24 points and Bill Russell scores 22 points and grabs 35 rebounds.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
Swalwell denied the allegations, only to drop out of the race shortly after, leaving the group’s endorsement up for grabs.
—Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
The position remains up for grabs because of inconsistency.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
The Emmys are back up for grabs.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
But Swalwell’s exit puts his voters up for grabs among his Democratic rivals and opens up a possibility of another leading Democrat surging ahead.
—John Woolfolk, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Charlotte is also 22-9 this season when posting an offensive rebounding percentage (the percentage of available offensive rebounds a team grabs) of 38 percent or better.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Primary election ballots will begin hitting California voters’ mailboxes in just a few weeks, and Swalwell’s campaign had been gaining steam and financial support that may now be up for grabs by other candidates.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
More than ever, most characters’ humanity is up for grabs.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
And the hourglasses now up for grabs here also have a clearer glass than previous offerings.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grabs
Verb
-
Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Brown noted that the thefts appear to be repetitive.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The annual convention of movie theater owners got a sneak peek at Jordan’s project — the third big-screen take on the story of a billionaire whose idle hands lead him to orchestrate major art thefts.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The moment, captured on video and shared via Storyful, shows Serezhkina beginning her report before the dog — later identified as Martin — lunges forward and snatches the microphone straight from her hands.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Roger snatches the boy up and runs through the chaos toward the infirmary.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If a passenger catches a fish during an excursion, it must be shipped home.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Two years after opening Smoke Queen Barbecue’s first brick-and-mortar location in Garden Grove, Winnie Yee, one of the country’s few female pitmasters, still sometimes catches herself looking around the restaurant in disbelief.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lane, though, not only captures Willy’s ordinariness and his ubiquity, which is no small achievement for so famous an actor, but also his optimism, his foundational, near-Trumpian belief in a coming Very Big Deal for either him or his sons.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
This social video series by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution captures the realities of immigration enforcement in Georgia, a state experiencing significant ICE activity.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But whether Warsh gets there before Jerome Powell's May 15 term expiration is another question entirely.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Continue reading … THIN MARGINS — Johnson gets reinforcements as GOP swears in new member.—
,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The first collection, which lands in stores in September, will offer those of us who spent their adolescence admiring his archival runway images on Tumblr a chance to finally get in on the action.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Higgins’ proposal lands nine years after Miami voters approved the $400 million Miami Forever Bond, championed by former Mayor Tomás Regalado and meant to address flooding and fund affordable housing.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grabs. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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