snatch 1 of 2

snatch

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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
Who did Chevy snatch the record from? New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2025 The young veteran safety snatched an interception once and racked up 62 tackles. Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 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
  • Money is being funneled into headline-grabbing initiatives, such as customer-facing chatbots and generative content tools.
    Mark Minevich, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Huda and Amaya appeared to remain on good terms, as Huda grabbed her hand at one point.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The senior receiver/running back caught a 49-yard pass in the second quarter for a touchdown and added a 90-yard TD run in the third to help the Mustangs to a 26-2 nonconference victory Thursday afternoon over Ag Science at Gately Stadium in Chicago.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Drone footage shows crews hosing down a smoking pile of materials that caught fire at a northeastern Massachusetts recycling plant.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In the last episode of the show, Livingston is revealed to be the brains behind the abduction of Alex Anderson and his fellow doctors.
    Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Created by Matt Charman, who previously brought to life Netflix's 2022 thriller Treason, Hostage stars Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack) as Abigail Dalton, the British Prime Minister who's swept up in a high-stakes conspiracy following the abduction of her husband, Alex (Ashley Thomas).
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • That initial investigation led the HPD to obtain a search warrant to seize electronic devices from the property associated with the IP address of the cyber tip, and the department investigated online communications.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In addition, several firearms and drugs were seized from other residences, according to police.
    Jack Moore, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Perceived risks for all travelers including terrorism, kidnapping, and disease actually occur less frequently than road injuries.
    Tanya Mohn, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Eventually, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Eventually, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department publicly alleged that a kidnapping had not occurred, and that Emmanuel was believed dead.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Mazzei's ruling pointed out that whole genome sequencing was also used to solve the 1982 cold case rape and murder of 9-year-old Daralyn Johnson in Idaho, resulting in two consecutive life sentences for David Allen Dalrymple.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • At the time, Johnson was planning to open three new rape crisis centers in London, and Low wrote that the future Queen shared a story from her own personal experience.
    Meredith Kile, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The gang runs a lucrative side business hijacking trucks of electronic devices — in this case, combination DVD/VHS players.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • One chain, used in attacks targeting a specific organization, executed a malicious DLL file hidden in an archive using a method known as COM hijacking that caused it to be executed by certain apps such as Microsoft Edge.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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