NABBED Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

nabbed

verb

past tense of nab

as in arrested

to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grabbed

to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly a pickpocket nabbed my wallet

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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 nabbed Then the mob went in and nabbed the books out of the gift shop. — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 That same month, criminals nabbed a $4 million diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Ortega’s look becomes the latest to join the batch of celebrities who nabbed pieces from the spring 2027 runway and brought them onto their promotional tours and red carpets over the last few weeks. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 14 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 At The Disco’s Brendon Urie, nabbed the Best Visual Effects award. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026 Instead of its famous Stars, Michelin awards the world’s best hotels with Keys — and a Charlotte hotspot has once again nabbed this coveted honor. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbed

Verb

Agents arrested four people, including the property owner, and arrested a fifth the next day, according to previous Statesman reporting.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Among the 105 people who were ultimately arrested, 75 are believed to have been deported to their home countries, according to local media, and 26 were released from ICE custody after their lawyers filed habeas corpus petitions.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrested

Verb

Nantz tried to knock the ball from Watt, but hit his wrist hard on the football and immediately grabbed his hand.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
The former center grabbed headlines in March for commenting on a Rangers loss that coincided with the team’s Pride Night celebration.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

In the postwar decades, humans seized ecosystems at breakneck speed—forests were felled, prairies plowed, wetlands drained.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Also unfinished are the high-speed rail and the Delta tunnel, major environmental infrastructure projects that have been seized upon by right-wing media as evidence of Newsom’s failures.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of seized

Verb

Her singing caught the attention of Abboud Saadi, the bassist for Lebanon’s most famous singer, Fairuz, who invited her to a recording session with Bypass Studio owner Ziad Rahbani.

— Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Following her death, Trail dismembered Loofe’s body to avoid getting caught.

— Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of caught

Verb

French President Emmanuel Macron gave a warning this week that thieves would be apprehended.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
According to the Department of Justice, New was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 7 before being apprehended in Las Vegas on October 13.

— Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of apprehended

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 snatched

Verb

Mitchell Fairbarn was captured on surveillance video carrying the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo, Peachy, to his room after removing the bird from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.

— Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
Pace said the majority of the incident, if not all, was captured on surveillance video.

— Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of captured

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“Nabbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabbed. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nabbed

verb

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