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
Max Verstappen snatched the torch from Lewis Hamilton and became one of the most unstoppable Formula 1 drivers in the sport from 2021 to 2024.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
This is the same person who cut off dribble-drives in a second-half effort that shut down Minnesota in the Sweet 16, who snatched a pass that was nearly out of bounds for a layup.
—Haley Sawyer, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026
For years, defense tech has fought to prove itself in Washington and grab a chunk of the ballooning Pentagon budget snatched up by defense primes like Lockheed Martin, RTX and Northrop Grumman.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
For this year, at least, the Big Ten has snatched the March Madness spotlight that was locked on the SEC last year.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
But New Yorkers elsewhere in the state continue to be at even greater risk of being snatched away and forced to endure life in detention camps because outside the five boroughs, chances are local enforcement is working hand-in-hand with ICE.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns snatched a narrow 68-66 win over NC State during the tournament’s First Four bout, salvaging their postseason run thanks to sixth-year senior Tramon Mark’s last-second shot.
—Mia Fishman, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Lena Horne’s former New York home has swiftly been snatched off the market.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors said Bingham grabbed the agent's uniform and snatched his ID badge off his neck before pulling the victim's hair and pushing him into a glass wall.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
This is the same person who cut off dribble-drives in a second-half effort that shut down Minnesota in the Sweet 16, who snatched a pass that was nearly out of bounds for a layup.
—Haley Sawyer, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026
For years, defense tech has fought to prove itself in Washington and grab a chunk of the ballooning Pentagon budget snatched up by defense primes like Lockheed Martin, RTX and Northrop Grumman.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
For this year, at least, the Big Ten has snatched the March Madness spotlight that was locked on the SEC last year.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
But New Yorkers elsewhere in the state continue to be at even greater risk of being snatched away and forced to endure life in detention camps because outside the five boroughs, chances are local enforcement is working hand-in-hand with ICE.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns snatched a narrow 68-66 win over NC State during the tournament’s First Four bout, salvaging their postseason run thanks to sixth-year senior Tramon Mark’s last-second shot.
—Mia Fishman, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Lena Horne’s former New York home has swiftly been snatched off the market.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors said Bingham grabbed the agent's uniform and snatched his ID badge off his neck before pulling the victim's hair and pushing him into a glass wall.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatched
Verb
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The prosecutor said Abril confronted the couple, at which point James MacEgan was shot and killed, before Abril grabbed MacEgan’s wife and pulled her into the creek.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Scheierman also hit two earlier threes, grabbed five rebounds and pestered Gilgeous-Alexander to force a third-quarter turnover to help Boston take down the defending NBA champions 119-109.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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About 2% of authors were caught, and their papers rejected, Nature reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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In the past, ranching in the West has caught flak for its heavy footprint on the environment and overreliance on government subsidies.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The department shared photos of what their officers seized, which included a gun and a baby bottle authorities say was filled with the drug mixture known as lean.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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In March, Hungarian counterterrorism authorities seized two trucks, owned by a Ukrainian bank, that were passing through the country on a routine cash-transport run from Vienna.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snatched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatched. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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