grab at/for

phrasal verb

grabbed at/for; grabbing at/for; grabs at/for

: to quickly stretch out one's hand and try to touch or hold (something or someone)

People were grabbing at her as she walked through the crowd.

He grabbed for the ball and missed.

—often used figuratively

We grabbed at the chance to go.

political parties grabbing for power

Examples of grab at/for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Naturalist guide Brooke Edwards of Alaska Wildland Adventures was surprised to hear this comment while explaining to her group that food should not be left out in the open in Denali National Park because animals like bear and marmots would make a grab for it. —

Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 18 Sep. 2024 Do small hands grab at your clothes after wiping their runny noses at your teaching job? —

Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2024 Disney is making a land grab for 2027 movie release dates. —

Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Slumping catcher Patrick Bailey nearly had it, but Eli White made a leaping grab at the wall, erasing what would’ve been a double. —

Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grab at/for

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grab at/for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.