grab bag

American  

noun

1. a container or receptacle from which a person at a party or the like draws a gift without knowing what it is.

2. any miscellaneous collection.

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grab bag British  

noun

1. a collection of miscellaneous things

2. a bag or other container from which gifts are drawn at random

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grab bag Idioms  

1. A miscellaneous collection, as in The meeting amounted to a grab bag of petty complaints. This term alludes to a container offered at a party or fair, where one dips in for a party favor or prize without knowing what one will get. [Mid-1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of grab bag

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

I’ve always been leery of short-term rentals, and my friends’ recent experience is further proof that rummaging through an online grab bag of properties isn’t for me.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

“Perfect World” is the grab bag of the lot.

From Salon • Jul. 8, 2025

After morning break, Mrs Curtis is putting together a grab bag for an eight-year-old pupil whose mum rang the school earlier to let them know they've had to leave their home in a hurry.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2025

Mr. Bayle was among the hundreds of farmers who rolled through the streets of Toulouse earlier this month in their tractors, joining a union-organized protest with a grab bag of demands for the government.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2024

The sheriff's job was not an easy one, and that county which, out of the grab bag of popular elections, pulled a good sheriff was lucky.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck