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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fans start to notice what's happening about five seconds into it, and then another man comes up behind the fan, grabs him and tackles him into the seats.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
And if no candidate grabs a majority in either of those races, this district’s voters might have to go to the polls four times.—
East Bay Times editorial board,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention.—
Babak Rahimi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The pair hope the wood-fire concept catches a spark in the area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
-
Also, Andrew Greif catches you up on the NHL playoffs, as round 2 is underway there, too.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The moment, captured on video and shared via Storyful, shows Serezhkina beginning her report before the dog — later identified as Martin — lunges forward and snatches the microphone straight from her hands.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What are your rights if ICE detains you?—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
Audio from the incident captures the moment the plane and person collided.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
The end result is a small but expressive robot version of Rocky that captures much of the personality fans loved in Project Hail Mary.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabs. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
