smash-and-grab
adjective
chiefly British
—used to describe a robbery that is done by breaking a window of a car, store, etc., and stealing whatever can be taken quickly
a smash-and-grab robbery/thief
Examples of smash-and-grab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ad campaign by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is in response to the rash of smash-and-grab robberies, home burglaries and other crimes that have garnered headlines.
—
Louis Casiano, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024
His opponents have blamed him for a rise in property crimes in some parts of the county, including a brazen smash-and-grab spree at luxury stores.
—Nicholas Riccardi, The Denver Post, 29 Feb. 2024
Yet residents and businesses are on edge with smash-and-grab thefts.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Three suspects committed a smash-and-grab robbery around 5 p.m. Saturday at Great Lakes Crossing mall in Auburn Hills, stealing approximately $11,000 worth of jewelry from Helzberg Diamonds.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Whenever the nation faces a safety threat – e.g., a high-profile shooting, a wave of smash-and-grab robberies or an act of terrorism – the public clamors for action and politicians and police agencies respond with proposals to increase their power.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024
Even Poland’s Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, no friend of Law and Justice, has raised doubts about the legality of the new government’s smash-and-grab style of reform and recapture.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
This week, a committee of Sacramento lawmakers convened to discuss solutions for continued shoplifting, with some attributing smash-and-grab thefts to Proposition 47.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023
Five retail theft suspects made off with around $250,000 worth of merchandise from a Chanel store in Washington D.C. during a smash-and-grab in which one of the thieves discharged a fire extinguisher, police said.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 21 Dec. 2023
Louis Casiano, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024
His opponents have blamed him for a rise in property crimes in some parts of the county, including a brazen smash-and-grab spree at luxury stores.
—Nicholas Riccardi, The Denver Post, 29 Feb. 2024
Yet residents and businesses are on edge with smash-and-grab thefts.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Three suspects committed a smash-and-grab robbery around 5 p.m. Saturday at Great Lakes Crossing mall in Auburn Hills, stealing approximately $11,000 worth of jewelry from Helzberg Diamonds.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Whenever the nation faces a safety threat – e.g., a high-profile shooting, a wave of smash-and-grab robberies or an act of terrorism – the public clamors for action and politicians and police agencies respond with proposals to increase their power.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024
Even Poland’s Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, no friend of Law and Justice, has raised doubts about the legality of the new government’s smash-and-grab style of reform and recapture.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
This week, a committee of Sacramento lawmakers convened to discuss solutions for continued shoplifting, with some attributing smash-and-grab thefts to Proposition 47.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023
Five retail theft suspects made off with around $250,000 worth of merchandise from a Chanel store in Washington D.C. during a smash-and-grab in which one of the thieves discharged a fire extinguisher, police said.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 21 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smash-and-grab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Smash-and-grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smash-and-grab. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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