nab
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to arrest or capture.
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to catch or seize, especially suddenly.
-
to snatch or steal.
verb
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to arrest
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to catch (someone) in wrongdoing
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to seize suddenly; snatch
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.
He got nabbed after almost 14 years on the lam, some of them spent teaching scuba in Egypt.
From Los Angeles Times
Their team – all dressed in tasselled cowboy outfits – have nabbed the prize for best-dressed, tying with another team decked out in pink nighties and platinum blonde wigs.
From BBC
"Sorry, Honey" nabbed best screenplay and "The Perfect Neighbor" scored best documentary.
From Barron's
Gruda was again well-placed for Leipzig's second when he nabbed a loose ball in the box before curling a fine effort into the top corner.
From Barron's
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
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.
