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
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 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
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Masked agents snatching preschoolers off the street and sending them to Texas detention centers serves none of those purposes.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
The event will also include a Dolly look-alike contest, a baking contest using Dolly Parton’s Baking Mixes, complimentary chair massages, a nail pop-up bar and a wig-snatching competition.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
But aesthetic treatments that sharpen the contours of the face—snatching the jaw, inflating the lips—to give them more contrast in photos, can reduce and distort expression.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
With a soul-stealing, heart-snatching smile.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Even snatching several of the top drug lords wouldn’t necessarily cripple a trade worth billions of dollars a year.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Studios and FilmRise, both of which are owned by private equity group Oaktree Capital Management, has been snatching up digital rights to library programming to build up its already sizable catalog.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
That’s institutional investors snatching up homes by the hundreds and thousands at a time, crushing the dream of home ownership, and forcing rents too damn high for everyone else.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 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
Zayn winning in Montreal after eating an RKO and a Razor’s Edge, then snatching the pin on Priest with a Helluva Kick, gave you the biggest pop and the clearest storyline payoff of the night.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Masked agents snatching preschoolers off the street and sending them to Texas detention centers serves none of those purposes.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
The event will also include a Dolly look-alike contest, a baking contest using Dolly Parton’s Baking Mixes, complimentary chair massages, a nail pop-up bar and a wig-snatching competition.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
But aesthetic treatments that sharpen the contours of the face—snatching the jaw, inflating the lips—to give them more contrast in photos, can reduce and distort expression.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
With a soul-stealing, heart-snatching smile.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Even snatching several of the top drug lords wouldn’t necessarily cripple a trade worth billions of dollars a year.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Studios and FilmRise, both of which are owned by private equity group Oaktree Capital Management, has been snatching up digital rights to library programming to build up its already sizable catalog.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
That’s institutional investors snatching up homes by the hundreds and thousands at a time, crushing the dream of home ownership, and forcing rents too damn high for everyone else.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatching
Noun
-
Another alleged member of the Latin Kings was charged in federal court in the District of Minnesota this month with being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft of government property after breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing a rifle.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
There’s also the Travelon Anti-theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag designed to outsmart pickpockets, plus the Taygeer Travel Backpack that can easily replace your carry-on.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thomas then appeared to quickly lunge at Leon, swiftly grabbing and lifting him up before body slamming the suspect to the ground.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
All 435 House seats will be up for grabs.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Accessibility The resort has four ADA-compliant guest rooms, each featuring roll-in showers with grab bars and stair-free path entrances.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Routine screening is vital in catching latent TB, which can lie dormant in the body for decades.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
There are reports of Mavs big man Daniel Gafford or Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe also catching the eye of Toronto.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
United teams of the past decade have been good at seizing on the unintended errors of opponents.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
According to a United Nations report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snatching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatching. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
