nab
verb (used with object)
to arrest or capture.
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nab
1 American
[nab]
/ næb /
verb (used with object)
Informal.
nabs,
present (3rd person singular)
nabbed,
past participle, past
nabbing
present participle
-
to arrest or capture.
-
to catch or seize, especially suddenly.
-
to snatch or steal.
NAB
2
American
nab
British
/ næb /
verb
-
to arrest
-
to catch (someone) in wrongdoing
-
to seize suddenly; snatch
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
nabsimple
-
nabssimple
-
have nabbedperfect
-
has nabbedperfect
-
am nabbingprogressive
-
are nabbingprogressive
-
is nabbingprogressive
-
have been nabbingperfect progressive
-
has been nabbingperfect progressive
Past
-
nabbedsimple
-
had nabbedperfect
-
was nabbingprogressive
-
were nabbingprogressive
-
had been nabbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nab
1675–85; earlier nap; perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Danish nappe, Norwegian, Swedish nappa to snatch
Explanation
When you nab someone, you catch the person in the act of doing something wrong. A police officer, for example, might say that she loves to nab shoplifters. You nab when you apprehend a bad guy, or when you suddenly grab something: "Hey, you can't just nab a slice of pizza off my plate!" It's most common to use nab when a criminal is caught, as when the FBI nabs a suspected terrorist or an officer nabs a would-be graffiti artist. Nab probably came from an earlier word, nap, "to seize or catch," which is now obsolete except in the word kidnap.
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:
But, with six minutes remaining, a moment of Maradona magic settled the final - the forward's superb first-time half-volleyed through ball sent Jorge Burruchaga racing away to nab the winner.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
While some fans were lucky enough to nab $28 tickets, others begrudgingly spent more than they budgeted.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
If you’re hoping to nab tickets to the LA28 Olympics in the second drop coming in August, you might want to brace yourself.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Plus, how the war is making U.S. stocks look a lot more attractive, and why now might be the best time to nab a cheap EV.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
“I knew they’d nab us one day!” said Dozer.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Westpac and NAB look most vulnerable in the near term, they add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
However, he reckons that the average analyst forecast was likely around A$2.683 billion, which is about 1% higher than the A$2.639 billion reported by NAB.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Still, markets will need to quickly see evidence that the Strait of Hormuz is reopening to traffic if those gains are to be sustained, says Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at NAB.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
NAB is the Australian lender most exposed to higher-risk sectors, it says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Any AB and NAB naturals out there who want to share their regimen?
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
See also: Palantir’s stock nabs another upgrade, with its valuation now less of a ‘struggle’
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026
Erivo has won rave reviews for her reprised role, so if she nabs a best Oscar win come March, and the coveted EGOT, it will be the cherry on the icing on the cake.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
The Border Patrol, which nabs people who try to sneak in between official crossings, said its arrests along the U.S.-Mexico boundary dropped from nearly 184,000 in April to fewer than 100,000 in June.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 20, 2023
With just two scholarship signal callers on the roster, don’t be surprised if Washington nabs a passer from the transfer portal for the second consecutive year.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2020
It comes up from underneath the fish with its mouth wide open, soars upward, nabs the fish, and then falls back into the ocean, almost on its side.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
While robot servers nabbed some fun headlines, slow and spotty Wi-Fi, aging devices and confusing order-placing software were making it difficult for staff to serve customers, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lockheed Martin LMT -2.39%decrease; down pointing triangle nabbed a $35.35 billion contract from the U.S. government to quadruple production of its high-end Thaad missile-defense systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
The ball ricocheted off its intended course, but Rojas nabbed it with his bare hand, throwing it to first where a lunging Freeman caught it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
The law enforcement push, which analysts have criticised as window-dressing, nabbed its biggest player with the January arrest of Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, who was extradited to China.
From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026
Pete and Toby usually left lettuce for Bunnicula during the day while he was sleeping, and Chester, ever watchful, probably nabbed it each evening just before the rabbit woke.
From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe
Tack on another 15-20 minutes to get to your desk, and the motivation for nabbing a closer spot starts to make sense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
After an indifferent first half, along with the rest of his team, he made a good start to the second half, nabbing two turnovers in quick succession.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
"The win, that's the most important thing," said James, who received a standing ovation when he was subbed out for son Bronny James, seconds after nabbing his 10th rebound.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
Apple TV+’s comedy “The Studio” earned 23 nominations, with Disney+’s “Star Wars” drama “Andor” landing 14, and FX on Hulu’s “The Bear” nabbing 13.
From Salon ● Jul. 16, 2025
When Will didn’t answer, Ben helped himself, nabbing a handful of fries from Will’s tray.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
