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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of snatching
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
Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2026
Lots of us can remember George Graham’s Arsenal snatching the league from Liverpool in 1989 and the epic, almost indescribable drama of Michael Thomas scoring the decisive goal with virtually the last kick of the season.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Experience the depuffing, face-snatching effects with this Sacheu option that’s currently on sale.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026
The previous epic adventures entail the unexpected evolutions and missteps of humans terraforming beyond Earth, from massive sentient spiders named after Shakespearean characters to a body-snatching Nodal entity.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Shortly after opening night, a martini-drunk Richard corners a New York Times critic (Stephen Spinella) who had panned him, snatching his cane and aggressively monologuing Shakespeare at him.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
Security cameras captured a masked thief snatching collectible LEGO sets from a shop in Redlands during an early-morning burglary.
—Zach Boetto, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
During the interview, the complaint says Froberg admitted to snatching Morgan and throwing her into the van.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
And new parties on both left and right are snatching an increasing share of the vote.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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 Reviews Are In Reese’s Marshmallow is now available in stores nationwide, and fans of the brand have already been snatching up the treat to give it a taste for themselves—and share their reviews.
—Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2026
Lots of us can remember George Graham’s Arsenal snatching the league from Liverpool in 1989 and the epic, almost indescribable drama of Michael Thomas scoring the decisive goal with virtually the last kick of the season.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Experience the depuffing, face-snatching effects with this Sacheu option that’s currently on sale.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026
The previous epic adventures entail the unexpected evolutions and missteps of humans terraforming beyond Earth, from massive sentient spiders named after Shakespearean characters to a body-snatching Nodal entity.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Shortly after opening night, a martini-drunk Richard corners a New York Times critic (Stephen Spinella) who had panned him, snatching his cane and aggressively monologuing Shakespeare at him.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
Security cameras captured a masked thief snatching collectible LEGO sets from a shop in Redlands during an early-morning burglary.
—Zach Boetto, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
During the interview, the complaint says Froberg admitted to snatching Morgan and throwing her into the van.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
And new parties on both left and right are snatching an increasing share of the vote.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatching
Noun
-
Data show that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise again in the Twin Cities.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
-
According to FanGraphs, Ward’s 16 thefts is tied for the most by any player in a single spring since 2006, matching San Francisco’s Eugenio Velez’s total from 2008 with two weeks of games still to play.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The news led Deadline to pose the question of whether happenstance means Cannes might struggle to add headline-grabbing movies this year, with several other blockbusters unlikely to screen there.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Video of that incident shows Peters grabbing the other woman and shoving her into the center of a hallway.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The government took a genuine invitation to collaborate as a perfidious power grab.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
There might be a spot or two still up for grabs with less than two weeks remaining until Opening Night against the New York Yankees, and Fulmer has positioned himself to be part of the conversations.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The news came just one week into the blockbuster trial, catching numerous parties off guard, including the judge overseeing the case and even one of the government’s own lead prosecutors.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The trails are open each year from April 1 - 30, and while the blooms are beautiful throughout the month, there’s something truly magical about catching them at their peak.—
Abby Price,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even after seizing a wanted dictator out of Venezuela and while monitoring an air war in Iran.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But seizing it will require more than capital and talent.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snatching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatching. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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