nabs

verb

present tense third-person singular of nab
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

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 The new skating game from Undercoders nabs a 4-star rating from our reviewer. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 The 11 Pro Fold nabs $2,249 from your bank account, which is already pricey, but the Z Fold 8 requires an extra $250 for the same configuration. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 16 Aug. 2026 Simultaneously, Lefty nabs her first career appearance on the Billboard Global Excl. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 Dutch team nabs 17 bikes from KC shop. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026 Now, DeLuz just wants to make sure Hilton nabs one of those top two spots, especially after intense sparring with fading Republican candidate Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. — Terry Collins, USA Today, 1 June 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabs
  1. seizes
  2. grabs
  3. arrests
  4. catches
  5. apprehends
  6. snatches
  7. detains
  8. captures
Verb
  • That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Wilson, meanwhile, seizes on the opening to play teacher’s pet.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of seizes
Verb
  • Over the course of Next Gen NYC’s season, which ended this past week, the model Ava Dash grabs a slice of pizza on Fulton Street; strolls through the Seaport; and calls her father, the hip-hop mogul Damon Dash, from a bench at Pier 17.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Ryan opens it, grabs a Diet Coke and asks one of his assistants to summon a cup of ice.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of grabs
Verb
  • 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
Definition of arrests
Verb
  • Fixed on a mobile rig that will at times careen and whoosh across the stage when not otherwise holding on Winter, Anderson’s camera catches the expressionism and chiaroscuro of stage lights illuminating and fading off the singer’s face.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Chicago White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery (24) catches a fly ball in the first inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of catches
Verb
  • John Early, as anyone encountering his work soon apprehends, chooses the latter.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
  • Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of apprehends
Verb
  • In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • These picks start at $11 and range from a one-piece swimsuit that snatches your waist to an everyday pair of wide-leg jeans and this summer-friendly tank top.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
Definition of snatches
Verb
  • The Midwest Regional Reception Center detains close to 500 fathers, mothers, spouses, cousins and friends on behalf of ICE.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The policy guidance applies to agents under Enforcement and Removal Operations, the branch of ICE that detains and ultimately deports undocumented immigrants.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of detains
Verb
  • Ulysses Terrero directed the clip, which captures Latin melodrama at its steamiest and is now a bonafide streaming hit.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Sarah Walker of Seattle Times captures why the category has taken off.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of captures

Browse Nearby Words

nabobs
nabs
nacreous
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Cite this Entry

“Nabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabs. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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