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
Widening our view to the moon’s more recent epochs requires nabbing more youthful material from the surface.
—
Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026
Raman was more popular with white and Asian voters, nabbing support from 12% of the white voters surveyed and 14% of the Asian voters surveyed.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Spiders are among Earth’s most resourceful predators, nabbing prey by any means necessary.
—Matthew Cordes, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
But imagine the fun for a fan base in celebrating a shot at the buzzer to trim the deficit from 16 to 14 in March to take one more step toward nabbing a game-changing talent in the ensuing summer’s draft.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
The singer won her first Grammy in 2020, nabbing three awards for best pop solo performance, best urban contemporary album and best traditional R&B performance.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Maximize your savings by nabbing multi-pass family bookings.
—Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
Ball was named the Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, nabbing the honor for the first time in his career.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns dominated the glass in its First Four game, nabbing 45 total rebounds.
—Mia Fishman, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026
Raman was more popular with white and Asian voters, nabbing support from 12% of the white voters surveyed and 14% of the Asian voters surveyed.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Spiders are among Earth’s most resourceful predators, nabbing prey by any means necessary.
—Matthew Cordes, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
But imagine the fun for a fan base in celebrating a shot at the buzzer to trim the deficit from 16 to 14 in March to take one more step toward nabbing a game-changing talent in the ensuing summer’s draft.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
The singer won her first Grammy in 2020, nabbing three awards for best pop solo performance, best urban contemporary album and best traditional R&B performance.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Maximize your savings by nabbing multi-pass family bookings.
—Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
Ball was named the Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, nabbing the honor for the first time in his career.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns dominated the glass in its First Four game, nabbing 45 total rebounds.
—Mia Fishman, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbing
Verb
-
Game warden testifies about arresting Horner Texas Game Warden Josh Espinoza was the first witness to testify on Wednesday morning.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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This granted local police the right to assist immigration officials in arresting and detaining unauthorized immigrants.—
Menika Dirkson,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He is then seen slowly approaching the victim, checking his surroundings, and removing his shoes before grabbing her from behind.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Reaves, meanwhile, spent much of the first quarter grabbing at his back.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her business is seizing the moment as AI radically transforms workflows, including that of lawyers, but her initial passion for the career came much earlier in life.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Targeting property Iran’s judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country’s rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved during last year’s 12-day war with Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran’s enemies.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ravensbergen is a rare southpaw as a right-catching goalie (coincidentally, as is Askarov).—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Mission specialist Christina Koch said her biggest highlight was catching her first glimpses of Earth after passing around the moon, a moment that came after a communications blackout.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fort Worth police officer Bobbie Sanchez, who was elbowed in the jaw while apprehending a suspect, told the Star-Telegram there was not a single oral surgeon in the city’s network who could treat her injuries, which delayed her recovery.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
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That process has effectively scared many people away from filling out paperwork to recertify with Medi-Cal due to fears of being outed by the federal government, which is cracking down on undocumented immigrants by apprehending and deporting them.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Marcus Chisholm, 44, is accused of snatching the taco stand’s cash register from a cashier’s table and running to his car, police say.—
Mark Price
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Some even resorted to body snatching in the name of education.—
Tara Ramanathan,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even if the crewmates are successful in capturing their images, Artemis 2's Earthrise (and Earthset) images won't look exactly like Apollo 8's.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Prime lunar views During the flyby, the astronauts will split into pairs and take turns capturing the lunar views out their windows with cameras.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabbing. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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