grab
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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grabs,
present (3rd person singular)
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grabbed,
past participle, past
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grabbing
present participle
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to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch.
He grabbed me by the collar.
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to take illegal possession of; seize forcibly or unscrupulously.
to grab land.
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to obtain and consume quickly.
Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.
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Slang.
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to cause a reaction in; affect.
How does my idea grab you?
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to arouse the interest or excitement of.
The book was O.K., but it just didn't grab me.
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verb (used without object)
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grabs,
present (3rd person singular)
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grabbed,
past participle, past
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grabbing
present participle
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to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed byat ).
He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.
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(of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; catch.
noun
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a sudden, quick grasp or snatch.
to make a grab at something.
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seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.
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something that is grabbed.
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a mechanical device for gripping objects.
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the capacity to hold or adhere.
The glue was so old it had lost its grab.
idioms
noun
verb
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to seize hold of (something)
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(tr) to seize illegally or unscrupulously
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(tr) to arrest; catch
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(intr) (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering
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informal (tr) to catch the attention or interest of; impress
noun
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the act or an instance of grabbing
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a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator
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something that is grabbed
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informal available to be bought, claimed, or won
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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grabsimple
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grabssimple
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have grabbedperfect
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has grabbedperfect
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am grabbingprogressive
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are grabbingprogressive
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is grabbingprogressive
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have been grabbingperfect progressive
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has been grabbingperfect progressive
Past
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grabbedsimple
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had grabbedperfect
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was grabbingprogressive
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were grabbingprogressive
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had been grabbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grab1
First recorded in 1580–90; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German grabben, Swedish grabba
Origin of grab2
First recorded in 1670–80; from Arabic ghurāb literally, “raven”
Explanation
When you grab something, you clutch at it. When a party-goer breaks open a piñata, the other guests usually grab wildly at the candy that cascades out of it. You can grab for the string of a balloon as it floats away, or grab your friend in a hug. Another way to grab is to make an impression: "When I hear a marching band, it grabs my attention." A "grab bag" is a random mixture of things, or a bag of goodies you can reach into and grab from. If something's "up for grabs." it's available: "This last piece of pie is up for grabs!"
Vocabulary lists containing grab
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:
It’s time to grab those jackets and pull out the umbrellas because cooler temperatures and a chance of rain is on tap for Southern California by the middle of this week, forecasters say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
A native of the Lone Star State, Clarkson made a large land grab in Mansfield, close to where she grew up.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
Colin VanCourt, 33, of Utica, N.Y., said he rushed to KFC on Thursday night to grab his favorite drink, unsure of the yellow-hued beverage’s future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Dransfield said: "He made eye contact with me, and my first thought was to just grab him to try and help him."
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
After a quick pass of the lunch counter to grab a second salad, I made my way across the atrium to where Regan sat, her forehead scrunched in concentration as she read chapter two.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Thirty-five seats are up for grabs in November but analysis by the Cook Political Report suggests that only seven of them are toss-ups that could go either way.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
They share in the struggles of their audience and keep the pool of themes available to comedians varied, interesting and up for grabs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
But there is still AI market share up for grabs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The U.S. and China are far and away the world’s two most powerful countries, but the nature of their ultimate relationship is still up for grabs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The driver and two EMTs, one of whom grabs a kit and another who is carrying a portable nebulizer.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Last week his security services grabbed a Japanese reporter in Russia, perhaps to squeeze something out of the Japanese government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
I greeted the door woman, bought a bottle of water, grabbed a bar stool against the far wall, and opened the book in progress on my phone until the show started.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
Back on the broadcast, Nantz immediately winced and grabbed his hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
When these songs came out on El Mal Querer, the mixture of ancient and modern grabbed attention at the highest levels of the mainstream music industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
And Anna grabbed up the old black coat to cover him.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
But the truth is, the two men have a storied on-off relationship that seems to fluctuate based on who’s grabbing the check.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
When the knife fell flat across the basket, the robot’s hands had difficulty grabbing the thin piece of metal.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Here’s how Longworth would spend her perfect Sunday in L.A., from a stroll down Mulholland Drive to grabbing a cup of frozen yogurt with a cinematic spin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“We need to be out in the places that already are grabbing her attention,” he said, referring to the company’s typical shopper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Sam pictured the inside of his own head, shiny steel with springs and teeth like a bear trap, grabbing at the Morse code and holding it tight so it would never escape.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
