as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
the brazen seagull snatched the french fry right from my hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of snatching
Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Many Londoners have firsthand experience of phone-snatching or have witnessed the surge in shoplifting documented by the Office for National Statistics.
—CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
Polls show that Londoners broadly feel safe in their town, although property theft, particularly phone snatching and shoplifting, has leapt up in recent years.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Reactions from Moscow and Beijing to Maduro’s snatching have varied.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Manipulation, threats, acts of physical and psychological violence (to oneself and others), as well as actual body snatching, were all part of Cipher’s brand while Linklater embodied Gen V’s season two big bad.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
While millions are riveted by Sunday’s seven-minute jewelry heist of Napoleonic jewels at the Louvre, another major sizable snatching, the 1990 break-in at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, resurfaced in the news in a different way.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
But the chick-snatching wasn't all terror and crib robbery, Parker stressed.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Instead, Hull will face Millwall over two legs after snatching the sixth place that had been in Wrexham’s possession when the final day got underway.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The suspect, identified by police as Abraham Recinos, was seen snatching tools from one home, then tossing them next door before walking to Bruce Casey’s residence.
—Ted Scouten, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Joaquín Guzmán, a former leader of the Chapitos, confessed to the 2024 kidnapping of Zambada, snatching him at a meeting, flying him by private plane to the United States and handing him over to authorities.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
This adjustable, two-piece lanyard set helps reduce the chances of a passerby or someone speeding by on a scooter from snatching your phone.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Bargain hunters are snatching up private lending funds in the stock market, eager to buy assets that look cheap by a key measure.
—Olivia Fishlow, Bloomberg, 25 Apr. 2026
The open-sea tactic mirrors what the US did when tracking down tankers linked to Venezuela earlier this year – before eventually snatching President Nicolás Maduro in a raid.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
His co-defendant Cristian Montecino-Sanzana pleaded guilty to two counts related to one of the three thefts that Bustamante Leiva admitted — an April 12 purse-snatching at a Nando's restaurant.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Many Londoners have firsthand experience of phone-snatching or have witnessed the surge in shoplifting documented by the Office for National Statistics.
—CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
Polls show that Londoners broadly feel safe in their town, although property theft, particularly phone snatching and shoplifting, has leapt up in recent years.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Reactions from Moscow and Beijing to Maduro’s snatching have varied.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Manipulation, threats, acts of physical and psychological violence (to oneself and others), as well as actual body snatching, were all part of Cipher’s brand while Linklater embodied Gen V’s season two big bad.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
While millions are riveted by Sunday’s seven-minute jewelry heist of Napoleonic jewels at the Louvre, another major sizable snatching, the 1990 break-in at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, resurfaced in the news in a different way.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
But the chick-snatching wasn't all terror and crib robbery, Parker stressed.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
The video game company generated buzz in 2021 after retail investors, mobilizing on Reddit, started snatching up GameStop shares, driving it up more than 2,000%.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Instead, Hull will face Millwall over two legs after snatching the sixth place that had been in Wrexham’s possession when the final day got underway.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The suspect, identified by police as Abraham Recinos, was seen snatching tools from one home, then tossing them next door before walking to Bruce Casey’s residence.
—Ted Scouten, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Joaquín Guzmán, a former leader of the Chapitos, confessed to the 2024 kidnapping of Zambada, snatching him at a meeting, flying him by private plane to the United States and handing him over to authorities.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
This adjustable, two-piece lanyard set helps reduce the chances of a passerby or someone speeding by on a scooter from snatching your phone.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Bargain hunters are snatching up private lending funds in the stock market, eager to buy assets that look cheap by a key measure.
—Olivia Fishlow, Bloomberg, 25 Apr. 2026
The open-sea tactic mirrors what the US did when tracking down tankers linked to Venezuela earlier this year – before eventually snatching President Nicolás Maduro in a raid.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatching
Noun
-
Minnesota court records show that Kazmierczak, who was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989, has been arrested multiple times for driving under the influence and has had numerous traffic citations.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
The 45-year-old man had a felony no-bail warrant for vehicle theft, according to the Sheriff’s Office, as well as other misdemeanor warrants.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Other complaints had to do with the Puerto Rican rap star grabbing his crotch, and with two dancers who allegedly grabbed each other's breasts (which, if true, is a wild dance move).—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
Particularly since the savings made in service-staff costs and brick-and-mortar bar space, not to mention the affordability of buying booze here in China's RMB currency, aren't that far off grabbing a can or bottle from a nearby 24-hour convenience store.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Key, the brother of Broncos safety Devon Key, fought off good coverage from UDFA cornerback Brent Austin to make a fantastic back-shoulder grab down the left sideline in a later 11-on-11 period.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
-
The show will feature five matches with two titles up for grabs – the World Heavyweight Championship and the United States Championship.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Abdoler echoed that, noting there is a much higher risk of catching other kinds of viruses, like influenza, while sailing.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Investigators worked to find and bring Austin into custody, catching a break by digging into his social media accounts.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Bianco also faces scrutiny for seizing more than 650,000 election ballots in what critics call a baseless fraud investigation.—
Hailey Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Four protesters are suing to stop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from seizing DNA samples from Americans arrested while peacefully protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snatching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatching. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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