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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

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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 After successfully nabbing a role in Brokeback Mountain, Hathaway dropped out of NYU. — Alyssa Modos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 Backed by Searchlight Pictures, Wild Horse Nine is McDonagh’s follow-up to The Banshees of Inisherin, which won Venice’s best screenplay and best actor prizes in 2022 on the way to nabbing nine Oscar nominations. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 But that was long enough for Anthony Hopkins to nab a Best Actor Oscar for his chillingly erudite cannibal in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 Fans packed the bleachers, sweating under the summer sun, or lined up along the concourse, hoping to nab a seat. — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 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
  • Durk Devontay Banks, stage name Lil Durk, was arrested in 2024 and faced five federal charges connected to a 2022 fatal shooting.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Mandatory detention was generally reserved for people arrested at the border.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of arrest
Verb
  • Emmys nights one and two saw Widow’s Bay pick up a whopping eight trophies, one short of The Studio’s total of nine last year, and this evening might end with Widow’s Bay grabbing a lot of the same awards The Studio did last year.
    — Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers have long recognized that humor can grab attention, deepen social connection, and build attraction.
    — Norbert Schwarz, Harvard Business Review, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • But the truth of it is that Sharaa forced his hand by seizing swathes of the SDF’s territory in a lightning offensive in January.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Who knows more of the injustice of the world than the girl who saw her town seized by a white-supremacist coup, the Wilmington massacre, in 1898?
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • The smart kids, the shy ones, the jokers and the loners — every one of them is caught in the pyroclastic flow of adolescence, every minute a negotiation between fitting in and standing out.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Nesting is always perilous, but the moment when the male and female trade places is especially so, as the incubating bird’s movement may catch the attention of a predator.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of catch
Verb
  • Tshuma, who was identified as a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage, was arrested in Johannesburg on July 10 while in possession of a gun and ammunition after Interpol issued a notice for him to be apprehended.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary of security and citizen protection, said authorities moved quickly to apprehend the suspects.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of apprehend
Verb
  • Faria was down a break and scrambling to survive, having snatched the opening set by getting past Alcaraz’s defenses.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Antiques Roadshow, which has been airing on PBS since 1997, won its first ever Emmy in 24 attempts and snatched the award away from Queer Eye and Shark Tank for the first time since 2013.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of snatch
Verb
  • On Sunday, Turkish authorities cracked down on multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, detaining dozens of members, breaking into association offices and raiding popular hangouts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Authorities detained at least 26 people in Istanbul and 21 in Ankara over the weekend and raided the offices of several LGBTQ+ associations.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of detain

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Cite this Entry

“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nab. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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