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
-
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:
“And sure enough, you see the guy get out of the car and grab a crate with all the power tools in it, and a blower on the way out,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Hull draw a third consecutive home game after Dango Ouattara's equaliser helps Brentford grab a point in a 1-1 draw at the MKM Stadium in the Premier League.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Major U.S. indexes whipsawed this week on a grab bag of related anxieties, from soaring oil prices to outsize AI spending and the capital required to foot that bill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
"Before, I used to buy a lot of snacks at convenience stores, but now I grab them here," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
The night birds chirp; you stretch, jump, reach, grab.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
She has been repeating a motto to colleagues helping her pitch for big IPOs: Until the bell is rung, a company is still up for grabs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
But there is still AI market share up for grabs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, 35 of 100 seats in the Senate, the upper chamber, will also be up for grabs.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Rep. Darrell Issa, a 72-year-old Republican who served 12 terms representing the 48th, 49th and 50th Congressional Districts over his 23-year career, is retiring, leaving his newly competitive seat up for grabs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
He spins on his heel, grabs and wads a paper towel in one smooth move, shoots it into the trash can, and is gone.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
In the replica Times Square, building-sized screens cast windows of light as people grabbed elaborate drinks made with iced tea, coffee or hibiscus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Here’s what’s grabbed my attention: Thursday’s tech takedown, and a market that’s increasingly splintering.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 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
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
I followed and grabbed the seat next to him.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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
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
The actress became visibly emotional as she recounted the events of the crypt and attempted to justify grabbing the shield before offering it to Fry.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 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
That meant there were no other kids on the street, just people grabbing a bite on their way to or from work.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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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.
