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
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
And if no candidate grabs a majority in either of those races, this district’s voters might have to go to the polls four times.
—East Bay Times Editorial Board, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
But Creasy, fueled by his promises to Poe and his new friendships, digs deep and grabs a scalpel lying on the floor.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
This evergreen, perennial vine grabs the attention of those looking for an ornamental groundcover.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
The group is among the most successful access-broker operations, a class of hackers that smashes and grabs credentials from victims and then sells them to other hackers.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
In this TikTok video, the creator grabs items from Dollar Tree and uses her hot glue gun to stack the votive and the candle holder into a customized garden pedestal.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Ebuehi starts to drive away as the officer reaches out and grabs Ebuehi and the scooter.
—Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The zookeeper grabs him and delivers the line of the year.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 7 May 2026
Another position on the back end that’s up for grabs will be safety.
—Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
The parliament of Wales, known as the Senedd, is also completely up for grabs.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 7 May 2026
The seat will be up for grabs again in November, a fact Tunney noted in his concession remarks, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 May 2026
With such big-name quarterbacks up for grabs, gang green should want to lose to avoid others besting them in the draft order.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 4 May 2026
In the Bay Area, several key congressional and legislative seats are up for grabs.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
That still leaves three slots up for grabs.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
The elegant, contemporary San Francisco house that a family member of the famous Gap clothing brand built for himself is up for grabs.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
Fans start to notice what's happening about five seconds into it, and then another man comes up behind the fan, grabs him and tackles him into the seats.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
And if no candidate grabs a majority in either of those races, this district’s voters might have to go to the polls four times.
—East Bay Times Editorial Board, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
But Creasy, fueled by his promises to Poe and his new friendships, digs deep and grabs a scalpel lying on the floor.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
This evergreen, perennial vine grabs the attention of those looking for an ornamental groundcover.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
The group is among the most successful access-broker operations, a class of hackers that smashes and grabs credentials from victims and then sells them to other hackers.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
In this TikTok video, the creator grabs items from Dollar Tree and uses her hot glue gun to stack the votive and the candle holder into a customized garden pedestal.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Ebuehi starts to drive away as the officer reaches out and grabs Ebuehi and the scooter.
—Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The zookeeper grabs him and delivers the line of the year.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
That vibe lives on at Jacaranda, with just 30 seats up for grabs, including a six-seat communal table.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 7 May 2026
Another position on the back end that’s up for grabs will be safety.
—Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
The parliament of Wales, known as the Senedd, is also completely up for grabs.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 7 May 2026
The seat will be up for grabs again in November, a fact Tunney noted in his concession remarks, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 May 2026
With such big-name quarterbacks up for grabs, gang green should want to lose to avoid others besting them in the draft order.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 4 May 2026
In the Bay Area, several key congressional and legislative seats are up for grabs.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
That still leaves three slots up for grabs.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
The elegant, contemporary San Francisco house that a family member of the famous Gap clothing brand built for himself is up for grabs.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 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
-
The vast majority of the thefts have happened at one postal location, and both victims and authorities are concerned that the crime could be an inside job involving postal employees.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
There were 20 reports from April 21-30 of residential burglaries, burglaries and thefts from the land surrounding homes, thefts from motor vehicles and suspicious-person incidents.—
Sofia Saric
May 7,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
When the Mafia snatches her anyway, his PTSD returns and launches him on a dark path to vengeance.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The pair hope the wood-fire concept catches a spark in the area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
-
Also, Andrew Greif catches you up on the NHL playoffs, as round 2 is underway there, too.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The framing captures the intensity of the city but also its evasiveness—these cars are neither here nor there but on their way somewhere else, underscoring Hong Kong’s historical identity as a transit hub, an entrepôt, a place intended for people to pass through, not to stay in.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Moving quickly captures these early returns and will be important for developing institutional muscle from which other industries can eventually learn.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Rodriguez is happy to see things coming together as conference play gets into full swing.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Government Accountability Office report lands at a moment when Congress is weighing the future of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the main federal agency supporting museums.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Keep it simple and grounded so your message lands clearly.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grabs. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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