grab
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
grabs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grabbed,
past participle, past
-
grabbing
present participle
-
to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch.
He grabbed me by the collar.
-
to take illegal possession of; seize forcibly or unscrupulously.
to grab land.
-
to obtain and consume quickly.
Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.
-
Slang.
-
to cause a reaction in; affect.
How does my idea grab you?
-
to arouse the interest or excitement of.
The book was O.K., but it just didn't grab me.
-
verb (used without object)
-
grabs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grabbed,
past participle, past
-
grabbing
present participle
-
to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed byat ).
He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.
-
(of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; catch.
noun
-
a sudden, quick grasp or snatch.
to make a grab at something.
-
seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.
-
something that is grabbed.
-
a mechanical device for gripping objects.
-
the capacity to hold or adhere.
The glue was so old it had lost its grab.
idioms
noun
verb
-
to seize hold of (something)
-
(tr) to seize illegally or unscrupulously
-
(tr) to arrest; catch
-
(intr) (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering
-
informal (tr) to catch the attention or interest of; impress
noun
-
the act or an instance of grabbing
-
a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator
-
something that is grabbed
-
informal available to be bought, claimed, or won
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
grabsimple
-
grabssimple
-
have grabbedperfect
-
has grabbedperfect
-
am grabbingprogressive
-
are grabbingprogressive
-
is grabbingprogressive
-
have been grabbingperfect progressive
-
has been grabbingperfect progressive
Past
-
grabbedsimple
-
had grabbedperfect
-
was grabbingprogressive
-
were grabbingprogressive
-
had been grabbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grab1
First recorded in 1580–90; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German grabben, Swedish grabba
Origin of grab2
First recorded in 1670–80; from Arabic ghurāb literally, “raven”
Explanation
When you grab something, you clutch at it. When a party-goer breaks open a piñata, the other guests usually grab wildly at the candy that cascades out of it. You can grab for the string of a balloon as it floats away, or grab your friend in a hug. Another way to grab is to make an impression: "When I hear a marching band, it grabs my attention." A "grab bag" is a random mixture of things, or a bag of goodies you can reach into and grab from. If something's "up for grabs." it's available: "This last piece of pie is up for grabs!"
Vocabulary lists containing grab
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Companies usually send him weekly briefings with assigned scripts, visual “hooks” to grab viewers’ attention, and captions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Arbeloa needs a result to kickstart his season, or at least something to grab hold of, and I don't think it's impossible for them to get something at Anfield.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
She’s a big fan of EcoSet, a Glassell Park “green resource for people in the film industry to grab what they need from a selection of paint, props, backdrops and more.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Although their proportions resembled those of modern cheetahs, growing evidence suggests these cats were much more versatile hunters, able to chase prey on land while also using powerful forelimbs to grab and hold it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
All I could see of him was a dark head, and flailing hands, as he struggled to grab ahold, as he tried to keep himself afloat.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
As private label grabs a bigger slice of the retail market, the older, bigger consumer packaged-goods makers are now left with a choice: beat the retailers or join them.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Bad news grabs the headlines, but European companies are turning in strong profit gains.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Let me tell you, they’ll hire whatever it takes, and they’ll spend money like it’s going out of style to defend this case, because everything’s up for grabs.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
From Friday until 2 August, 215 gold medals will be up for grabs - compared to 261 when Scotland last staged the Games - but Glasgow 2026 will see a record 47 para-sports events.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Speaking of that, though” — he grabs a piece of paper from his desk and hands it to me — “your name’s not on the list of athletes eligible for a scholarship.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Njoku bobbled the pass, however, and the ball was grabbed by rookie safety Hezekiah Masses, who had another pick in the fourth quarter during his first career start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
A friend grabbed his arm and pulled him out.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The devices grabbed attention this summer after a marketing tie-up between Kylie Jenner, beauty mogul and member of the Kardashian dynasty, and tech giant Meta.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
At a rural Scottish gasoline station my wife grabbed a copy of the Times of London.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
“You keep forgetting we don’t have a plan,” I said as I grabbed his arm and slid through the door.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Scauso added that because of the timing of the attacks, many firefighters were changing shifts, but some stayed to help, grabbing whatever extra gear they could find.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Abandoning the vehicle, the group clambered up the rocky mountainside, grabbing onto boulders and grass to haul themselves up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The four suspected Louvre robbers have been arrested, but the jewels they are accused of grabbing in the seven-minute heist have still not been found.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
If the con isn’t about grabbing money upfront, Lee said scammers are playing the long game.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
She realized suddenly how weird it was to be going through another girl’s room and grabbing things, and she stopped.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
