snatch 1 of 2

snatch

2 of 2

noun

slang
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal to the police chief, it didn't look like a snatch, but another case of a bride-to-be getting cold feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word snatch different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of snatch are clutch, grab, grasp, seize, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

When is it sensible to use clutch instead of snatch?

The words clutch and snatch can be used in similar contexts, but clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

How are the words grab and snatch related?

Grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When would grasp be a good substitute for snatch?

The words grasp and snatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

In what contexts can seize take the place of snatch?

While the synonyms seize and snatch are close in meaning, seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

When can take be used instead of snatch?

The meanings of take and snatch largely overlap; however, take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

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 snatch
Verb
The prison industry is being rapidly expanded, and people, many of whom are immigrants, are literally being snatched off the street. Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025 Space is limited, so snatch your tickets now at Exploretock. Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
The text, sung by two sopranos, may well have been in Esperanto, as only snatches were decipherable. Alan G. Artner, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2017 The beat is now peppy with drum and snatches of piano, a common Beatles rhythm. Nicholas Dawidoff, The Atlantic, 18 May 2017 See All Example Sentences for snatch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatch
Verb
  • The Asian restaurant joins what has become an increasingly attractive section of Meridian for grabbing food.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The Clinton years and the 1990s, defined by continuous domestic economic growth and headline-grabbing scandals, were a time when liberal idealism was so strong that Aaron Sorkin wrote a show about it.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The final was 28-7, as Rashee Rice caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to add to the lead.
    Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
  • With Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel both out, the 10th-year NFL veteran caught all four of his targets for 36 yards — trailing only Jaylin Lane, Chris Moore and Zach Ertz in receiving for Washington.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There are measures against the energy, military, and financial sectors of Russia, as well as specific targets against those believed to be involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Records placed Revak in Wisconsin Rapids at the time of Harm’s abduction, Degase said.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • What’s more, after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Czechs who had their property seized by the state were allowed to reclaim much of it through a restitution system – but not ethnic Germans who lost it under the post-war Benes decrees.
    Will Tizard, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
  • As my daughter’s face paled, and a man in a clown mask stalked the aisles, panic seized my limbs.
    Christa Carmen, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Stacey Wondra, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and destruction of evidence, Payette County Sheriff Andy Creech told the Idaho Statesman.
    Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The true-crime film follows the mysterious death of a young mother and her son's kidnapping.
    Emy LaCroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • He was also convicted on seven rape charges perpetrated against seven different victims, all of whom testified at his trial.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
  • One also said a rape occurred at a nearby hotel.
    Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As far as plane hijacking stories go, Good News has a pretty happy ending.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The hijacking of the sport and the community institutions that built it, by noxious forces using it for their own means.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on snatch

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