snatch

[ snach ]

/ snætʃ /

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See synonyms for: snatch / snatched / snatching on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to make a sudden effort to seize something, as with the hand; grab (usually followed by at).

verb (used with object)

to seize by a sudden or hasty grasp: He snatched the old lady's purse and ran.

to take, get, secure, etc., suddenly or hastily.

to rescue or save by prompt action: He snatched the baby from the fire.

Slang. to kidnap.

noun

the act or an instance of snatching.

a sudden motion to seize something; grab: He made a snatch as if to stop her.

a bit, scrap, or fragment of something: snatches of conversation.

a brief spell of effort, activity, or any experience: to work in snatches.

Nautical. a sheave or projecting member serving as a fairlead.

a brief period of time.

Slang. an act of kidnapping.

Slang: Vulgar. vulva; vagina.

Weightlifting. a lift in which the barbell is brought in a single motion from the floor to an arms-extended position overhead.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

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Compare clean and jerk.

Origin of snatch

1175–1225; Middle English snacche (noun), snacchen (v.) < ?; cognate with Middle Dutch snacken

OTHER WORDS FROM snatch

snatch·a·ble, adjectivesnatcher, nounsnatch·ing·ly, adverboutsnatch, verb (used with object)

un·snatched, adjective

Words nearby snatch

snarl, snarler, snarl-up, snarly, snash, snatch, snatch block, snatched, snatch squad, snatchy, snath

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use snatch in a sentence

It's not fun to conduct a hazardous snatch of an insurgent leader, only to find you grabbed the wrong guy.
Special Ops’ Weapons Wish List|Michael Peck|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In another change since his transit days, crooks now snatch cellphones, not gold chains.
My Patrol With the NYPD’s Bill Bratton|Michael Daly|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is easy for an unscrupulous individual to pose as an underground banker, snatch up several large deposits, then cut and run.
Inside China's Underground Black Market Banks|Brendon Hong|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The company reported $2.4 billion in annual sales and could snatch a valuation as high as $5 billion.
Kanye West Is a Modern Michelangelo; Pippa Middleton Jokes About Her Bridesmaid Dress|The Fashion Beast Team|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Guests snatch up the eccentric-looking drinks that line the bar as they wander around before the performance.
A Mad Feast Is the Next 'Sleep No More'|Nina Strochlic|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Keep a starving man away from bread when he has only to stretch out his hand and snatch it.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater
You snatch me out of the cold cloister, but, in the bustling, ardent world you condemn me to the conventional chastity?
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
Jack Harvey had sent young Tim into the cabin to snatch a wink of sleep, and Joe had come up, heavy and dull.
The Rival Campers|Ruel Perley Smith
Then, as the insect tumbled near her, she made a quick snatch at the glowing point of fire.
Menotah|Ernest G. Henham
They were the real enemies of my children; they sought to snatch the crown; I saw them daily at work and they wore me out.
Catherine de' Medici|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for snatch

snatch

/ (snætʃ) /

verb

(tr) to seize or grasp (something) suddenly or peremptorilyhe snatched the chocolate out of my hand

(intr usually foll by at) to seize or attempt to seize suddenly

(tr) to take hurriedlyto snatch some sleep

(tr) to remove suddenlyshe snatched her hand away

(tr) to gain, win, or rescue, esp narrowlythey snatched victory in the closing seconds

(tr) (in weightlifting) to lift (a weight) with a snatch

snatch one's time Australian informal to leave a job, taking whatever pay is due

noun

an act of snatching

a fragment or small incomplete partsnatches of conversation

a brief spellsnatches of time off

weightlifting a lift in which the weight is raised in one quick motion from the floor to an overhead position

slang, mainly US an act of kidnapping

British slang a robberya diamond snatch

Derived forms of snatch

snatcher, noun

Word Origin for snatch

C13 snacchen; related to Middle Dutch snakken to gasp, Old Norse snaka to sniff around

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

snatch

Origin of snatch

OTHER WORDS FROM snatch

Words nearby snatch

Words related to snatch

How to use snatch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for snatch

Derived forms of snatch

Word Origin for snatch