smash-and-grab
adjective
chiefly British
—used to describe a robbery that is done by breaking a window of a car, store, etc., and stealing whatever can be taken quickly
a smash-and-grab robbery/thief
Examples of smash-and-grab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Soon afterward followed the routine smash-and-grab robberies that would drive convenience stores and pharmacies out of even heavily populated neighborhoods that desperately needed them.
—
The Editors, National Review, 25 Oct. 2024
Videos of smash-and-grab retail crimes and auto theft went viral, giving ample opportunity for right-wing media pundits to use San Francisco as an urgent warning against electing Democrats.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
In June of this year, the Chanel boutique on Avenue Montaigne was targeted by a smash-and-grab robbery that involved four suspects ramming their vehicle into the store in order to break the windows and steal merchandise.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024
The suffering is all around us — from open-air drug markets populated by addicts to an epidemic of smash-and-grab robberies that are closing small businesses and driving up costs for those who can stay open.
—Matt Mahan, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smash-and-grab 
The Editors, National Review, 25 Oct. 2024
Videos of smash-and-grab retail crimes and auto theft went viral, giving ample opportunity for right-wing media pundits to use San Francisco as an urgent warning against electing Democrats.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
In June of this year, the Chanel boutique on Avenue Montaigne was targeted by a smash-and-grab robbery that involved four suspects ramming their vehicle into the store in order to break the windows and steal merchandise.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024
The suffering is all around us — from open-air drug markets populated by addicts to an epidemic of smash-and-grab robberies that are closing small businesses and driving up costs for those who can stay open.
—Matt Mahan, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smash-and-grab
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smash-and-grab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smash-and-grab
Cite this Entry
“Smash-and-grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smash-and-grab. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share