grab
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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grabs,
present (3rd person singular)
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grabbed,
past participle, past
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grabbing
present participle
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to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch.
He grabbed me by the collar.
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to take illegal possession of; seize forcibly or unscrupulously.
to grab land.
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to obtain and consume quickly.
Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.
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Slang.
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to cause a reaction in; affect.
How does my idea grab you?
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to arouse the interest or excitement of.
The book was O.K., but it just didn't grab me.
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verb (used without object)
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grabs,
present (3rd person singular)
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grabbed,
past participle, past
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grabbing
present participle
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to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed byat ).
He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.
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(of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; catch.
noun
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a sudden, quick grasp or snatch.
to make a grab at something.
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seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.
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something that is grabbed.
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a mechanical device for gripping objects.
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the capacity to hold or adhere.
The glue was so old it had lost its grab.
idioms
noun
verb
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to seize hold of (something)
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(tr) to seize illegally or unscrupulously
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(tr) to arrest; catch
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(intr) (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering
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informal (tr) to catch the attention or interest of; impress
noun
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the act or an instance of grabbing
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a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator
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something that is grabbed
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informal available to be bought, claimed, or won
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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grabsimple
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grabssimple
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have grabbedperfect
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has grabbedperfect
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am grabbingprogressive
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are grabbingprogressive
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is grabbingprogressive
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have been grabbingperfect progressive
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has been grabbingperfect progressive
Past
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grabbedsimple
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had grabbedperfect
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was grabbingprogressive
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were grabbingprogressive
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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:
Something to look forward to on Monday: Picture a time when plans didn’t require a 12-person group chat, three calendar apps, and a poll just to grab a drink.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
Few have gone as far as British rock group Suede, whose frontman Brett Anderson leapt over a barricade during a 2023 performance in Singapore to grab at fans' phones.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Doughmakers” in the factories would grab a piece of dough off the production line and stretch it out, or grab chips just out of the fryer and weigh and measure them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
If I needed to grab Cosmo, I’d raise my hand high to let his one eye warily track me so he wouldn’t get startled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Stepping off the block, I grab my phone from my bag and click on his message.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Last year’s event offered a golf-record $50 million, while this season’s was supposed to have $40 million up for grabs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
With 215 golds up for grabs at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, highlighting just five medal hopefuls is no easy feat.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Australian creative content was not "up for grabs", Albanese said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
It’s the “remarkable structural repricing” of Japan, though, that grabs the attention.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
She grabs a tissue from my desk and hands it to me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
She grabbed Levy's hand and asked what he was doing, but he did not respond.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Mulholland grabbed his assistant and told his chauffeur to head there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
CHICAGO—When Maria Moctezuma learned that a project on busy Archer Avenue would replace on-street parking with bike lanes and reduce traffic from two lanes to one, she mobilized residents and grabbed a bullhorn to protest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Olga Congacha, 50, who had to flee her village of Robledo de Chavela west of Madrid with hastily grabbed documents and clothes, told AFP she felt "panicked" when told to leave her home.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
But on his way, Glenn swung past the wall and grabbed up teacher’s broom.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
It wasn’t without faults—primarily its outrageous money grabbing, from the $5,000 nosebleeds to seven figure hospitality “experiences”—but it was largely an uplifting, five-week love bombing from Earth’s most popular sport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
His films are designed to be all-consuming experiences, opening in media res, grabbing the viewer by the ankle and dragging them into action already in progress.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
However, grabbing the last “6% to 8%” of that final push higher would open an investor to a potential 25% downside — meaning “the risk/reward on that has gone against you.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“We’re grabbing for straws, trying to develop something,” an officer told the New York Times within 24 hours of the bombing.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Jonah thought about grabbing his sister, holding her back, dragging her away to Mom and Dad and safety.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
