1
as in seizes
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 grabs
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 nabs
Disney+ nabs the upcoming live-action series featuring the friendly ghost.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Tampa Bay passes up on a few top edge rushers here (Miami’s Akheem Mesidor and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk) because of the depth at the position and instead nabs McCoy before a few other corner-needy teams.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
This bundle also includes one month of eero Plus, which nabs you exra features like parental controls to help set schedules and content filters.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Infielder Chris Hacopian barrels a ball, but Jaquae Stewart nabs it right before the warning track.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
When one pilot nabs a speed record, almost instantly another goes up into the clouds to attempt to top them.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
McEntire is up to four top 10s, Wilson claims her seventh, while Cyrus nabs her milestone twentieth top 10 bestseller.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Quavo, likewise, nabs his third champ among his solo outings.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
In a new 'acquihire,' Google nabs top talent from voice AI startup Hume.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Tampa Bay passes up on a few top edge rushers here (Miami’s Akheem Mesidor and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk) because of the depth at the position and instead nabs McCoy before a few other corner-needy teams.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
This bundle also includes one month of eero Plus, which nabs you exra features like parental controls to help set schedules and content filters.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Infielder Chris Hacopian barrels a ball, but Jaquae Stewart nabs it right before the warning track.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
When one pilot nabs a speed record, almost instantly another goes up into the clouds to attempt to top them.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
McEntire is up to four top 10s, Wilson claims her seventh, while Cyrus nabs her milestone twentieth top 10 bestseller.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Quavo, likewise, nabs his third champ among his solo outings.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
In a new 'acquihire,' Google nabs top talent from voice AI startup Hume.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabs
Verb
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Ellie brings up the salad and seizes the opportunity to take credit for her part in making lunch.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
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While Linda seizes, Bradley makes a break for it on a makeshift raft.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Kennedy then pins the snake’s head and grabs it by the mouth, avoiding any potential venomous bites.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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Davis grabs two suitcases off the belt, pulls out a handheld computer that looks like an extra-rugged iPad, and scans the bar codes on the luggage tags.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That last risk is the most dangerous, since an error nobody catches becomes a decision the business acts on.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
The app provides instant feedback and catches pronunciation mistakes.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Neighbors are now living in fear, looking on as ICE apprehends people of color across Minnesota.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dubbed the Velvet Gang, the trio snatches the overpriced, often monochromatic fashion threads designed by Christie Smith (Demi Moore, in a performance of comedic genius), a pretentious piece of work who stations herself in a leaning building (wink, win to San Francisco there).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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When the Mafia snatches her anyway, his PTSD returns and launches him on a dark path to vengeance.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What are your rights if ICE detains you?—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Data Center is further broken into Hyperscale—sales to cloud giants and major internet companies—and ACIE, which captures AI cloud providers, industrial customers, and enterprises building their own AI infrastructure.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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Both phones also feature an excellent 115mm Periscope zoom lens that captures excellent portraits, but the main cameras differ slightly, with the Pro model using a newer sensor developed in-house by Xiaomi.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabs. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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