Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

grab

1 American  
[grab] / græb /

verb (used with object)

grabbed, grabbing

  1. to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch.

    He grabbed me by the collar.
    Synonyms:
    catch, grip, grasp

  2. to take illegal possession of; seize forcibly or unscrupulously.

    to grab land.

  3. to obtain and consume quickly.

    Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.

  4. Slang.

    1. to cause a reaction in; affect.

      How does my idea grab you?

    2. to arouse the interest or excitement of.

      The book was O.K., but it just didn't grab me.

verb (used without object)

grabbed, grabbing

  1. to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed byat ).

    He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.

  2. (of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; catch.

noun

  1. a sudden, quick grasp or snatch.

    to make a grab at something.

  2. seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.

  3. something that is grabbed.

  4. a mechanical device for gripping objects.

  5. the capacity to hold or adhere.

    The glue was so old it had lost its grab.

idioms

  1. up for grabs, available to anyone willing to expend the energy to get it.

    The Republican nomination for mayor was up for grabs.
grab 2 American  
[grab] / græb /

noun

  1. a ship having two or three masts with a square rig, common on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries.

grab British  
/ ɡræb /

verb

  1. to seize hold of (something)

  2. (tr) to seize illegally or unscrupulously

  3. (tr) to arrest; catch

  4. (intr) (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering

  5. informal (tr) to catch the attention or interest of; impress

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or an instance of grabbing

  2. a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator

  3. something that is grabbed

  4. informal available to be bought, claimed, or won

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
grab More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing grab

Other Word Forms

  • grabbable adjective
  • grabber noun
  • ungrabbing adjective

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”

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.

"That's why I grabbed his hands - because I forgot to curtsy," she said.

From BBC

Scrutiny of hospice care has intensified, grabbing the attention of the federal government, which is vowing to decertify companies that are overbilling, stealing identities or charging for services never provided.

From MarketWatch

"Mascots were there to grab the crowd's attention, but often the mascot would be creeping up behind me as I was sat photographing the game," she says.

From BBC

Ambitious city women start out thinking they’re going to grab the world by the tail, pull it down and put it in their pocket.

From Salon

As soon as she saw O'Riordan was headlining the event, she grabbed a ticket.

From BBC

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.