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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of nabbing
The Patriots also improved at safety, nabbing Kevin Byard, and bolstered their offensive line with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
—
Chad Graff, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Images of Life divides Lucas’ career into three chronological and loose stylistic categories, each nabbing an LP of its own.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 23 May 2026
Chef Depina of The 7th Street Standard, last year’s People’s Choice winner, still had a good showing, nabbing second place in both categories.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Thanks to Durán nabbing Mookie Betts trying to steal as part of a strikeout double play to end the first inning and Shohei Ohtani trying to steal second after a leadoff walk in the fourth, King had thrown just 73 pitches heading into the sixth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
In a reflection of its growing Hollywood clout, YouTube last year inked a deal for exclusive global rights to the Oscars awards ceremony beginning in 2029 and running through 2033, nabbing the media rights from Disney’s ABC.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
On Friday, April 24, the Illinois Lottery announced in a press release that a DuPage County resident, who hasn't been named, was the latest winner after purchasing a Millionaire Club Instant Ticket, nabbing the $1 million prize fund.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
For the first time in club history, the Rapids did not lose at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night, finally nabbing a point in the team’s 10th-ever trip to face the Black and Gold.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Swalwell was seen as a likely frontrunner in the California gubernatorial primary, nabbing a number of prominent union organizations’ endorsements ahead of the revelations.
—Jonathan Carter, The Hill, 13 Apr. 2026
Chad Graff, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Images of Life divides Lucas’ career into three chronological and loose stylistic categories, each nabbing an LP of its own.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 23 May 2026
Chef Depina of The 7th Street Standard, last year’s People’s Choice winner, still had a good showing, nabbing second place in both categories.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Thanks to Durán nabbing Mookie Betts trying to steal as part of a strikeout double play to end the first inning and Shohei Ohtani trying to steal second after a leadoff walk in the fourth, King had thrown just 73 pitches heading into the sixth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
In a reflection of its growing Hollywood clout, YouTube last year inked a deal for exclusive global rights to the Oscars awards ceremony beginning in 2029 and running through 2033, nabbing the media rights from Disney’s ABC.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
On Friday, April 24, the Illinois Lottery announced in a press release that a DuPage County resident, who hasn't been named, was the latest winner after purchasing a Millionaire Club Instant Ticket, nabbing the $1 million prize fund.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
For the first time in club history, the Rapids did not lose at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night, finally nabbing a point in the team’s 10th-ever trip to face the Black and Gold.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Swalwell was seen as a likely frontrunner in the California gubernatorial primary, nabbing a number of prominent union organizations’ endorsements ahead of the revelations.
—Jonathan Carter, The Hill, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbing
Verb
-
After all, the name Polly Adler is known in and of itself, and arresting me for pandering is a feather in the cap for any cop or assistant district attorney.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Police responded to a call for battery/domestic violence at a residence in West Hills prior to arresting Jackson.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The suspects asked if Apple Pay was accepted before grabbing a box of cash.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
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Jose Alvarado also got physical in Game 4, grabbing one of Wembanyama's legs during a hard foul.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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He’s drawn to attempting to achieve things that his predecessors could not, including seizing territory for the United States (Greenland, for sure, but maybe Canada, too) and toppling antagonistic regimes (Venezuela, Iran, possibly Cuba).—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
-
The Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Dao, sits within Manila's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, but Beijing has maintained a near-constant presence around the shoal after seizing de facto control in a tense 2012 standoff.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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As many as 7 in 10 of those operators blamed tight visa rules, vetting of immigrants and a spike in the cost of catching a flight into the United States, brought on by the Iran war, as reasons for the lousy booking rates.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
-
The Baltimore native dropped a rap video that is catching the eye of more than a million people.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Police posted video of the raid on social media, showing officers collecting evidence at the scene and apprehending the suspect.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service and New Mexico State Police assisted in apprehending Jones, Hann said.—
Caroline Zimmerman
May 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Verb
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She was booked and charged with two counts of battery, robbery by snatching and criminal mischief.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
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Five people were arrested last week after a months-long investigation into a series of chain-snatching robberies in San Francisco, police said on Wednesday.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday in Texas, capturing the franchise's first championship since 1973 and sparking jubilant scenes throughout the city.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Want advice on capturing birds in flight?—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabbing. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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