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 Oppenheimer, of course, won Best Picture in 2024 and nabbed Nolan Best Director. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 An hour and a half later, a correctional officer from Montana nabbed 49-year-old Sophie Dennison-Gibby. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 Some of these companies, including Thinking Machines, have nabbed substantial sums from investors before releasing any products. — Shirin Ghaffary, Fortune, 15 July 2026 Cillian Murphy nabbed an Oscar for his haunted performance as the former UC Berkeley professor and physicist whose groundbreaking work led to one of the most frightening, formidable scientific discoveries in all of mankind. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 The 26-year-old actor nabbed a nom in the best guest actor in a comedy category Wednesday morning for his Saturday Night Live hosting gig. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 Though Netflix’s rom-com nabbed a comedy series nomination, voters took the title to heart regarding its two leads, both of whom were nominated for its first season. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Shane Buechele Former Chiefs quarterback Shane Buechele nabbed an invite, too. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 Brown also nabbed two Teen Choice Award wins for Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress and Choice Summer TV Star for Stranger Things in 2018 and 2019, respectively. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbed

Verb

Two people were arrested — an electrical engineer responsible for designing and overseeing the power project, and a contractor involved in constructing the electricity transmission network.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Martin was then immediately handcuffed and arrested as the little girl’s cries were heard from inside the car.

— Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrested

Verb

His teacher grabbed him and ran him bleeding down the halls, in circles, screaming through the school until help caught up.

— Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
Bryan Kohberger’s innocence claim and the smoky skies of Boise grabbed the attention the past two days.

— Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

His critics seized on the decision as an example of financial mismanagement, although the building was used as collateral under former party chairs as well.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
For years, where others have seen voids with Heat rosters, Spoelstra has seen opportunities seized by the likes of Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and others who have contributed to Heat runs to the NBA Finals.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of seized

Verb

The breaches signal that AI’s expanding capabilities are already fueling the security threat experts long feared and even top developers can be caught off-guard by flaws their models can exploit.

— Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Samuel with Washington in 2025 caught 72 passes for 727 yards and scored six total touchdowns, and never signed an extension after his contract ran out.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of caught

Verb

The phone on the wall rang, and Rebecca snatched the receiver, then pulled the curly cord down the steps to the basement and shut the door.

— Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
In Friday’s first red zone drill of training camp, Purdy wisely threw a ball that the 6-foot-5 Evans snatched high at the goal line, with an almost unnecessary leap against 5-foot-9 cornerback Upton Stout.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of snatched

Verb

Brent crude averaged almost $97 a barrel during the quarter; Aramco captured an additional premium of nearly $11 a barrel by boosting exports of higher-margin refined products, such as diesel and jet fuel.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Value Is Forming Before Companies Go Public The AI sector captured roughly 53% of global venture capital funding in the first quarter of 2025, the strongest quarter for AI funding on record at that point.

— Stephen Richards Evans, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of captured

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“Nabbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabbed. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of nabbed

verb

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