nab

verb

ˈnab How to pronounce nab (audio)
Definition of nabnext
1
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly a pickpocket nabbed my wallet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 nab The only other debut album to nab the same honors in the past decade was Chris Stapleton, with Traveller. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026 Debuting in limited release from A24 was Chris Rock’s Misty Green, which nabbed $27,000 on Friday from six locations in New York and Los Angeles. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 Many of the wines that were nabbed are beloved by the wine community the world over, such as Tignanello, one of the first Super Tuscans, a red wine that is blended entirely without white grapes. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 The acquaintance told police where Carrasco was hiding out and cops raced there and nabbed him. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nab
  1. arrest
  2. grab
  3. seize
  4. catch
  5. apprehend
  6. snatch
  7. detain
Verb
  • Now, in yet another blow to national self-esteem, the ex-head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, the BND, has been arrested on charges of exploiting state secrets.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Roseville police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless woman downtown earlier this week, authorities said.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Verb
  • Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • One 10-year-old girl, crying and trying to hug her father, was allegedly grabbed by the neck by law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The continent’s political leaders must seize the moment to act, and not let this moment of Europtimism slide.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Scientists have previously speculated that a GRB would vaporize anything caught in its death rays up to 200 light-years from the source.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • On this trip, she’s been busy in the studio with Camila Cabello, but tonight she’s headed to SoFi Stadium to catch Mars’ latest tour.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of catch
Verb
  • Two detainees held at Deportation Depot were released by mistake over the weekend and later apprehended and returned to the detention facility, officials have confirmed.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The unidentified suspect fled on a scooter as the officers attempted to apprehend him, police said.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprehend
Verb
  • Once the vehicle is loaded on it, the slave deck can easily be snatched with a front-end loader sporting long forks.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Little buried the 57-yard field goal as the Jaguars snatched victory from the jaws (or, in this case, claws) of defeat.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of snatch
Verb
  • Stephen Hubbard, 74, was sentenced to nearly seven years in a penal colony in 2024, after being detained in April 2022.
    — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The legislation also calls for Atlanta and the Fulton County sheriff to negotiate a separate agreement covering how space and services will be shared, including housing people detained on municipal charges.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of detain

Browse Nearby Words

my word
nab
nabbed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nab. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All