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
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Recent Examples of nabbing
Along the way, Harding had 12 players earn All-GAC honors and win three major conference awards, with Braden Jay earning Offensive Player of the Year honors and Clark Griffin nabbing Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
—
Erick Taylor, Arkansas Online, 31 Dec. 2025
And many proved her experience wasn't an anomaly when the album won accolade after accolade, including nabbing Beyoncé her long-overdue Album of the Year gramophone during the 2025 Grammy Awards.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Iowa State hires Jimmy Rogers With Sitake off the board, PSU shifted its focus to another program in the Big 12, nabbing Matt Campbell for Iowa State on Friday.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
How about nabbing one for free?
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 28 Nov. 2025
Over the course of the season, the content creator — who has been paired with pro Val Chmerkovskiy — has impressed the judges, nabbing plenty of 10s from the judges for her moves.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
While there are plenty of places to dine on property—an open-air deck, a solarium, and an outdoor grotto—I’d recommend nabbing a reservation.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025
More recently, Barbie accomplished a similar feat, generating over $1 billion at the worldwide box office while nabbing eight Oscar nominations.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
That reaction spilled over to Bailey’s Wicked castmates, who appeared in a video on the film’s social media accounts celebrating their Fiyero nabbing the coveted title.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025
Erick Taylor, Arkansas Online, 31 Dec. 2025
And many proved her experience wasn't an anomaly when the album won accolade after accolade, including nabbing Beyoncé her long-overdue Album of the Year gramophone during the 2025 Grammy Awards.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Iowa State hires Jimmy Rogers With Sitake off the board, PSU shifted its focus to another program in the Big 12, nabbing Matt Campbell for Iowa State on Friday.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
How about nabbing one for free?
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 28 Nov. 2025
Over the course of the season, the content creator — who has been paired with pro Val Chmerkovskiy — has impressed the judges, nabbing plenty of 10s from the judges for her moves.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
While there are plenty of places to dine on property—an open-air deck, a solarium, and an outdoor grotto—I’d recommend nabbing a reservation.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025
More recently, Barbie accomplished a similar feat, generating over $1 billion at the worldwide box office while nabbing eight Oscar nominations.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
That reaction spilled over to Bailey’s Wicked castmates, who appeared in a video on the film’s social media accounts celebrating their Fiyero nabbing the coveted title.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbing
Verb
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The arresting officer’s injuries did not require medical attention, Frasier told the Idaho Statesman by email.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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The government is also still cracking down on dissent, arresting people for celebrating Maduro’s capture.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 5-11 200-pound standout has accumulated mind-boggling stats through nine games -- 1,098 rushing yards and 17 TDs while grabbing a team-leading 42 passes for 974 yards and 18 scores.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Nikola Jokic put up 26 points on 12 of 15 shooting, while also dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But seizing current oil production is one thing; overhauling Venezuela's entire oil industry would be another.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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Trump has occasionally discussed seizing Greenland since his first term but few initially took his threats seriously.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Through the air, their pass-catching group is one of the worst in the playoffs.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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At Oklahoma, Livingstone will be catching passes from John Mateer, who completed 62% of his passes for 2,885 yards in 2025, accumulating 14 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bands of masked men apprehending people in broad daylight in the streets and hauling them off.—
J. David McSwane,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
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The swift police response and use of video surveillance technology proved crucial in identifying and apprehending the shooter.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Keep going and the path climbs to the top of the arch, a high perch with breath-snatching panoramas.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Shea Moisture Define & Shine Edge Gel slicks my edges back without snatching them to hell.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The odds are stacked against independent and specialty films capturing audience attention.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 2021, after homing in on wet processing as a major hot spot, Kering purchased the first 15 of PlanetCare’s commercial microfiber filters, capable of capturing 90 percent of shed strands, to install in several knitwear facilities in Italy.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabbing. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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