as in grabbed
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
the brazen seagull snatched the french fry right from my hand
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Recent Examples of snatched
After becoming an Internet sensation (and an art-world provocateur), the toilet moved to England in 2019, where a trio of thieves snatched it from the birthplace of Winston Churchill in a crime straight out of the board game Clue.
—
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
Japan says at least 17 of its citizens were snatched by North Korean agents in the late 1970s and 1980s.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The day before that theft in New York, police said someone across the country broke into the Oakland Museum of California’s off-site storage facility and snatched more than 1,000 items including jewelry, laptops, Native American baskets and other historic artifacts.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Emma insists she’s never snatched a husband in her life, and everyone agrees that these constant attempts by Nicole to make the show exciting have blocked all roads to peace.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
If last year is any indication, these will get snatched up pretty fast on the days of the official sale.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2025
The teams traded three-and-outs after but the Hornets snatched momentum back thanks to Sanders’ pivotal play.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
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
An emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise were also reportedly snatched alongside a reliquary brooch, Empress Eugénie’s diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
Japan says at least 17 of its citizens were snatched by North Korean agents in the late 1970s and 1980s.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The day before that theft in New York, police said someone across the country broke into the Oakland Museum of California’s off-site storage facility and snatched more than 1,000 items including jewelry, laptops, Native American baskets and other historic artifacts.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Emma insists she’s never snatched a husband in her life, and everyone agrees that these constant attempts by Nicole to make the show exciting have blocked all roads to peace.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
If last year is any indication, these will get snatched up pretty fast on the days of the official sale.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2025
The teams traded three-and-outs after but the Hornets snatched momentum back thanks to Sanders’ pivotal play.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
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
An emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise were also reportedly snatched alongside a reliquary brooch, Empress Eugénie’s diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatched
Verb
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Shakarna grabbed her medication and headed to try to reach her, fearing for her life.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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But like de Blasio did 12 years earlier, Mamdani identified the growing crisis of unaffordability as the city's most pressing problem and grabbed attention − especially from the young and online − by promising to address it.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Police previously said a 2011 Infiniti G37 sedan crashed on the I-30 service road and caught fire.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The London punk rebels seized the revolutionary spirit of 1977 with their raw manifesto The Clash, then refined their sound with the flawed Give ‘Em Enough Rope.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
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Government security forces seized 1,764 tonnes of cocaine between August 2022 and November 2024, followed by a further 601 tonnes between January and August 2025.—
Gustavo Petro,
Time,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Snatched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatched. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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