1
as in arresting
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
a pickpocket nabbed my wallet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nabbing
Photos show hunters nabbing a 14-foot alligator This story has been updated to add photos.
—
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Many wondered how the Packers were able to be all stealthy in nabbing Parsons.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Despite nabbing acclaim at its Fantastic Fest premiere two years ago, The Toxic Avenger didn’t land a distribution deal until earlier this year via Terrifier 3 label, Cineverse, which agreed to release the unrated version currently playing in theaters nationwide.
—Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Abbott Elementary, for which Brunson also serves as creator and executive producer, wrapped up its fourth season by nabbing six Emmy nominations, including best comedy and best writing for a comedy series, which Brunson won for the series’ pilot episode in 2022.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
The budding athlete was even spotted practicing with his father at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, ahead of Novak nabbing his seventh Wimbledon title.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
O'Hara's career has flourished since, reprising her role as Delia Deetz in 2024's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and nabbing key parts on two of 2025's buzziest shows, The Last of Us and The Studio.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Amazon has completed two such deals in the last year, nabbing the founders and top talent away from Adept in June 2024, and from Covariant two months later.
—Ashley Capoot,salvador Rodriguez,annie Palmer, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
Two innings later, Pete Alonso flashed a child-like grin after catching the back end of a double play that started with McLean, originally drafted as a two-way player from Oklahoma State, nabbing a comebacker with a behind-the-back snag.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Many wondered how the Packers were able to be all stealthy in nabbing Parsons.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Despite nabbing acclaim at its Fantastic Fest premiere two years ago, The Toxic Avenger didn’t land a distribution deal until earlier this year via Terrifier 3 label, Cineverse, which agreed to release the unrated version currently playing in theaters nationwide.
—Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Abbott Elementary, for which Brunson also serves as creator and executive producer, wrapped up its fourth season by nabbing six Emmy nominations, including best comedy and best writing for a comedy series, which Brunson won for the series’ pilot episode in 2022.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
The budding athlete was even spotted practicing with his father at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, ahead of Novak nabbing his seventh Wimbledon title.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
O'Hara's career has flourished since, reprising her role as Delia Deetz in 2024's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and nabbing key parts on two of 2025's buzziest shows, The Last of Us and The Studio.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Amazon has completed two such deals in the last year, nabbing the founders and top talent away from Adept in June 2024, and from Covariant two months later.
—Ashley Capoot,salvador Rodriguez,annie Palmer, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
Two innings later, Pete Alonso flashed a child-like grin after catching the back end of a double play that started with McLean, originally drafted as a two-way player from Oklahoma State, nabbing a comebacker with a behind-the-back snag.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabbing
Verb
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Joined later by singer Sarah Cracknell, Saint Etienne crafted catchy and arresting indie alternative dance-pop music that, over time, has incorporated other genres such as folktronica, acid house, ‘60s European pop and ambient.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Federal and immigration agents conducted a massive sweep on the plant in Ellabell, Georgia, arresting 475 people as part of an investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More than a month after his death, Ozzy Osbourne’s music has largely slipped away from the Billboard charts following the headline-grabbing news that one of rock’s founding fathers had passed away.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite the slowdown in Europe’s soft denim sales, Turkish mill Isko is seizing new growth opportunities across Asia.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
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This one was about seizing one of the sweetest victories of his legendary career … whether the old quarterback wanted to admit it or not.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, the Bears are close to catching back up, as the score is 27-24 at the time of this writing.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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But despite catching all of that on TV, a lot of the fun was happening in the audience and backstage, away from the cameras.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rider agents are tasked with fighting drug smuggling and human trafficking, locating and apprehending undocumented migrants and occasionally rescuing migrants and citizen hikers.—
Suzanne Wright,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When the Green Line train pulled into a station, Soria pushed Flores onto the train platform before snatching money out of the hands of a man and taking off running, FOX 32 Chicago reported.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Just as Bay crashed the party in Chicago by snatching three points in their record attendance game, the Washington Spirit did the same to Bay, netting three unanswered goals in the first half.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Whether a user is creating video for social channels, producing content for clients or capturing everyday moments, the new Premiere app will provide the same sort of tools that are already relied on by millions of content creators around the world.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Hanson has always been a great fashion photographer, especially good at capturing feminine exuberance, but the span of time that has passed since these pictures were taken now establishes them as bona-fide historical artifacts to boot.—
Jillian Steinhauer,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabbing. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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