grabbed; grabbing
1
: to take or seize by or as if by a sudden motion or grasp
grab up an ax
grabbed the opportunity
grab attention
2
: to take hastily
grab a bite to eat
grab a cab
3
a
: to seize the attention of
the technique of grabbing an audience—
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
b
: to impress favorably and deeply
4
: to obtain without consideration of what is right or wrong
grab public lands
: to make a sudden snatch
grabber
noun
1
a
: a sudden snatch
b
: an unlawful or unethical seizure
a grab for power
c
: something taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
2
1
: intended to be taken, seized, or grasped suddenly
a grab rail
2
: taken at random
grab samples of rocks
Examples of grab in a Sentence
Verb
I have to go back in the house and grab my car keys.
The little boy grabbed onto his mother's leg and wouldn't let go.
I'll grab a taxi and meet you there.
Let's grab a bite to eat before the movie starts.
The store had a lot of nice stuff, but nothing really grabbed me.
The play grabs the audience from the opening scene.
One player in particular has been grabbing a lot of attention lately.
Noun
a political activist who thinks the government's lease of public lands to logging companies amounts to an illegal land grab
Recent Examples on the Web
Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Oh my God, so amazing to grab that artist for Charlotte. ...
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2025
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2025
Unlike the House, where all the seats are up for grabs, only a third of the Senate is in play every two years.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
He’s minimized the walks, partly due to his willingness to use his curveball early in counts for strikes to get ahead and grab count leverage.
—Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Oh my God, so amazing to grab that artist for Charlotte. ...
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
Spanning more than 350 acres with 17 multi-acre parcels up for grabs starting at $8 million, the New Zealand development has the only real estate available with the necessary waivers in place for foreign buyers.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2025
Unlike the House, where all the seats are up for grabs, only a third of the Senate is in play every two years.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grab
Cite this Entry
“Grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grab. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share