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:
I stuffed one in my backpack on the way out in Phoenix on Monday and didn’t have to grab an overpriced soda at the hotel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Arbeloa needs a result to kickstart his season, or at least something to grab hold of, and I don't think it's impossible for them to get something at Anfield.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
She’s a big fan of EcoSet, a Glassell Park “green resource for people in the film industry to grab what they need from a selection of paint, props, backdrops and more.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Although their proportions resembled those of modern cheetahs, growing evidence suggests these cats were much more versatile hunters, able to chase prey on land while also using powerful forelimbs to grab and hold it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
I grab the Emily Dickinson collection from Dad right before I leave and flip through it in the car.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Bad news grabs the headlines, but European companies are turning in strong profit gains.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Let me tell you, they’ll hire whatever it takes, and they’ll spend money like it’s going out of style to defend this case, because everything’s up for grabs.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
“In three seconds, we have something that grabs your attention,” says Rovner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Votes will be cast for all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives, and a third of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for grabs.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
She grabs my hand, drags me to my feet.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
At a rural Scottish gasoline station my wife grabbed a copy of the Times of London.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Rafael Vela Gonzalez was a few steps away from the front door of his Silver Lake home when two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents grabbed him in early January.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Making its debut, "By Any Means" from Paramount grabbed fourth place with $7.4 million in sales.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
I grabbed my belongings and headed up those 223 — or maybe 225 — stairs one last time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
A few seconds later, the black plastic went orange as the flame grabbed it.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
The four suspected Louvre robbers have been arrested, but the jewels they are accused of grabbing in the seven-minute heist have still not been found.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
The senator has been grabbing national headlines for months by targeting Trump in his speeches, leading to chatter about a possible 2028 presidential run.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Cook is regularly spotted walking the halls of Apple Park or grabbing lunch at one of Apple’s Caffè Mac cafeterias.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Her story: Parton’s greatest contribution to the movie might have been its title—and the song she wrote for it, in which she croons about grabbing herself a “cup of ambition.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Don’t do that,” I said, grabbing her arm.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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.
