nabbing

verb

present participle of nab
1
as in arresting
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 grabbing
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 nabbing Becker, who has a propensity for nabbing jump balls, played a key role in the Hoosiers' title run, including his six-catch, 126-yard performance against Ohio State last December. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 After nabbing a minority stake in Puma earlier this year, Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is investing in another troubled sportswear company. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026 Once word gets out, nabbing center-orchestra seats (already going for over $300 apiece at press time) might feel like a minor miracle. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026 Fatih Akin is no stranger to the festival circuit, having wowed Berlin with his Golden Bear-winning Head-On in 2004 and nabbing best screenplay in Cannes for The Edge of Heaven in 2007. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 Boots was right, and the Eyes Wide Shut vibes prompt the team to make an exit (after nabbing some Champagne bottles). — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026 After successfully nabbing a role in Brokeback Mountain, Hathaway dropped out of NYU. — Alyssa Modos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 But these ventures are tiny compared to the ranchlands, timberlands, and cropfields many one-percenters are nabbing. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 The Silence of the Lambs is probably the most successful thriller in Oscar history, nabbing awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbing
  1. arresting
  2. grabbing
  3. seizing
  4. catching
  5. apprehending
  6. snatching
  7. capturing
Verb
  • Osceola Sheriff Chris Blackmon released a statement on Facebook on Wednesday after arresting all nine students.
    — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For starters, the Stanford experiment prisoners had no idea the study would kick off with local police realistically arresting them at their homes.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of arresting
Verb
  • Over recent years, ambitious and headline-grabbing solutions to transportation problems have been unveiled in South Florida, from vertical jet ports to autonomous vehicles.
    — Sofia Zarran, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Bailey kicked off the Lakers’ opening night by matching her powerful voice with an equally attention-grabbing shoe.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • Frieze Week in London has stopped being just about Frieze London and Frieze Masters as smaller fairs are seizing the opportunity for more intimate fair models.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Not to say that Vara is working in bad faith, but there is an ugly history of bad actors seizing on these kinds of accusations against writers of color.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of seizing
Verb
  • Peltola is a gun-owning, fish-catching Alaska-bush native, who has worked for mines and supports oil drilling, and is allied with the state’s largest labor unions.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But for audiences outside North America, catching Nathan Fielder’s three-hour documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes — now expected to be a major player in awards season — has become a frustrating waiting game.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of catching
Verb
  • Only instead of just peacefully apprehending opponents, Doncic’s super-competitive alter ego wants to smash them all under an array of increasingly rude step-back jumpers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The film cuts between Murray cautiously opening the suspicious package and FBI agents apprehending Kaczynski decades later.
    — Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of apprehending
Verb
  • Running around snatching pythons out of the jungle isn't my idea of fun, but someone has to do it.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Freiburg took advantage of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich drawing to move top, snatching the win over Schalke with a late goal despite having Yuito Suzuki sent off for a second yellow card in the 64th.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of snatching
Verb
  • Witty, bitter, flamboyant, and emotionally grounded, the dialogue swings, delightfully, between intimate exchanges and grandiloquent soliloquies, capturing the vulnerability of idealists in the face of evil.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • By capturing predictable fees on a massive, permanent baseline of cheap American energy, these three midstream powerhouses represent a high-quality structural play for investors.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of capturing

Browse Nearby Words

nabbed
nabbing
nabe
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Cite this Entry

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

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