nab

¹ American

[nab] / næb /

verb (used with object)

Informal.

nabbed, nabbing

to arrest or capture.
to catch or seize, especially suddenly.
to snatch or steal.

NAB ² American

Also N.A.B. National Association of Broadcasters.
New American Bible.

nab British

/ næb /

verb

to arrest
to catch (someone) in wrongdoing
to seize suddenly; snatch

"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 Word Forms

nabber noun

Etymology

Origin of nab

1675–85; earlier nap; perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Danish nappe, Norwegian, Swedish nappa to snatch

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.

Department of Transportation has deployed such cameras to nab motorists who park in bus lanes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

The undercover officers donned masks depicting Captain America, Batman and Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, among others, to nab a pair in the act, Brazil's Civil Police said.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Allegiant shined in three categories to nab second place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Join membership clubs to nab the best hotel or group tour deal.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026

Talents for origami and dog-training and computer-repair and whistling, and dozens of others he’d managed to nab over the years.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023