grab
1to 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.
to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed by at): He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.
(of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; catch.
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 about grab
up for grabs, Informal. available to anyone willing to expend the energy to get it: The Republican nomination for mayor was up for grabs.
Origin of grab
1Other words for grab
Other words from grab
- grab·ba·ble, adjective
- un·grab·bing, adjective
Other definitions for grab (2 of 2)
a ship having two or three masts with a square rig, common on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Origin of grab
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use grab in a sentence
At this point, the female rapper comes across as fairly sympathetic—that is, until Azealia Banks grabs the mic.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year | Amy Zimmerman | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith both branches of Congress now under Republican control, we should act to halt those power grabs, too.
Growing rapidly as a community and up for grabs, Asian Americans are deciding elections around the country.
Asian Americans Are The Country’s Fastest Growing Swing Vote | Tim Mak | November 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt that age you can fashion yourself: everything is up for grabs.
Sarah Waters: Queen of the Tortured Lesbian Romance | Tim Teeman | September 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNow, when you Google “Brian Lederman” the first result describes him as someone who “grabs a lot of asses.”
Online Shaming Gives Creeps the Spotlight They Deserve | Samantha Allen | September 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
She was waving a twig of lavender, and little Martha was making grabs at it, and laughing her gurgling laugh of babyish glee.
The Daughters of Danaus | Mona CairdSo when she grabs holt of me and asts me agin what did I mean I blubbered harder, jest the way a kid will, and says nothing else.
Danny's Own Story | Don MarquisWhen you quitted the door level for the third ascent you would cease to worry about impossible grabs.
The Pillar of Light | Louis TracyBut he ain't home daytimes, to count what eggs is laid, an' so I watches out an' grabs one a day.
Mary Louise in the Country | L. Frank Baum (AKA Edith Van Dyne)Then he busts out an' grabs me by the throat an' near choked the life out or me.
Mary Louise in the Country | L. Frank Baum (AKA Edith Van Dyne)
British Dictionary definitions for grab
/ (ɡræb) /
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
(tr) informal to catch the attention or interest of; impress
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
up for grabs informal available to be bought, claimed, or won
Origin of grab
1Derived forms of grab
- grabber, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with grab
In addition to the idiom beginning with grab
- grab bag
also see:
- how does that grab you
- up for grabs
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse