as in seizes
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
don't grab my arm like that
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Recent Examples of grabs
Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026
Afterward the man with the shotgun points it inside the truck’s cabin and the passenger grabs its barrel, the video shows.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026
There are some broadly entertaining yet scattershot series of betrayals, shootouts, car chases (and subsequent crashes), though little that actually raises the pulse or grabs your emotions.
—Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
San Francisco's new manager grabs a piece of gum from a dugout basket then heads out onto the grass at Scottsdale Stadium and gets to work.
—CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
One of my favorite parts is where the Queen of Hearts grabs the flamingo to play croquet with the hedgehogs.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
In the kitchen, Wells grabs a round of dough resting in semolina flour.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Inspired, Larry grabs a random woman and kisses her on the mouth.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Nothing grabs your attention more than thinking of $4 gas, but by Thursday the price was up higher than that.
—Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
By the tournament’s final night, one spot remained up for grabs.
—Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
No 4 or 5-star grabs for the Phils RF in all of 2025, got one in the first series of 2026.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
This year, Republicans are defending a 53 seat majority in the Senate, with 35 seats up for grabs.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Here are more than 600 acres up for grabs.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Ezukanma has also been hard to matchup with during one-on-ones and had a few nice grabs during team drills.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
The doors have reopened at the former DoubleTree in Plymouth Meeting for a public liquidation sale, where nearly everything inside the seven-story building is up for grabs.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Four candidates will be on the ballot, with three spots up for grabs out of the eight available.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Chibale grabs a chemistry book off the shelf in his office and riffles through a parade of molecules — each one like an old friend.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026
Afterward the man with the shotgun points it inside the truck’s cabin and the passenger grabs its barrel, the video shows.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026
There are some broadly entertaining yet scattershot series of betrayals, shootouts, car chases (and subsequent crashes), though little that actually raises the pulse or grabs your emotions.
—Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
San Francisco's new manager grabs a piece of gum from a dugout basket then heads out onto the grass at Scottsdale Stadium and gets to work.
—CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
One of my favorite parts is where the Queen of Hearts grabs the flamingo to play croquet with the hedgehogs.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
In the kitchen, Wells grabs a round of dough resting in semolina flour.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Inspired, Larry grabs a random woman and kisses her on the mouth.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Nothing grabs your attention more than thinking of $4 gas, but by Thursday the price was up higher than that.
—Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Ciere Boatright, Johnson’s Department of Planning and Development commissioner, said the up-for-grabs inventory is the largest since the vacant lot sale program began in 2022.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
By the tournament’s final night, one spot remained up for grabs.
—Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
No 4 or 5-star grabs for the Phils RF in all of 2025, got one in the first series of 2026.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
This year, Republicans are defending a 53 seat majority in the Senate, with 35 seats up for grabs.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Here are more than 600 acres up for grabs.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Ezukanma has also been hard to matchup with during one-on-ones and had a few nice grabs during team drills.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
The doors have reopened at the former DoubleTree in Plymouth Meeting for a public liquidation sale, where nearly everything inside the seven-story building is up for grabs.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Four candidates will be on the ballot, with three spots up for grabs out of the eight available.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grabs
Verb
-
Earnest and intersectional, the spoken word artist’s debut solo album seizes upon the power of club music to preach about gender equality, personal transformation, and communal uplift.—
Jesse Dorris,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
-
So, when Ozzie (Kyle Bary), a former child star, finds himself in a heap of trouble, Jax seizes the opportunity to spice up her daily routine.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However, in 2024, there were 223 car thefts during the same time period.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, crime has fallen and the percentage of solved robberies has increased from 34% to 49%, according to Berkeley Police Chief Jen Louis, who specifically praised the technology for helping track down auto thefts and identifying suspects across the region.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cinematographer Tim Ives snatches his rare opportunities to shoot the beautiful scenery, but most of the pair’s encounters take place in or near Ledger’s orange pickup truck, a totem from the book.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
There’s much for delight, but the drama lost steam in a confusing episode near the end, when a Snake (portrayed by Abrahamse) snatches the Prince away.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The 27-year-old Kmet primarily played in-line (62%) in 2025, but has demonstrated slot production in three straight years of 50-plus catches from 2021 to 2023.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The critical detail that catches many retirees off guard is the two-year lookback.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This visual story captures the festival’s scale, atmosphere, fashion and crowd energy throughout the grounds.—
Miami Herald newsroom,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The deep space image captures a fleeting moment in a titanic struggle that has lasted hundreds of millions of years, as the gravitational influence of the galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 pulls at one another to create chaos on a truly cosmic scale.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Glen Powell gets his Han Solo moment as the slick pilot Fox McCloud, and mischievous monkeys known as Ukikis threaten to steal the show with their pickpocketing antics.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
For musicians, playing these sporting events gets them in front of broader audiences that may come outside of their core fanbase.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Prioritize balance by naming what fits today and what lands tomorrow.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Economic impact almost always leads the news when a city lands the NFL draft.—
Adam Annaccone,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grabs. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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