snatch 1 of 2

snatch

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noun

slang
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal to the police chief, it didn't look like a snatch, but another case of a bride-to-be getting cold feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word snatch different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of snatch are clutch, grab, grasp, seize, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

When is it sensible to use clutch instead of snatch?

The words clutch and snatch can be used in similar contexts, but clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

How are the words grab and snatch related?

Grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When would grasp be a good substitute for snatch?

The words grasp and snatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

In what contexts can seize take the place of snatch?

While the synonyms seize and snatch are close in meaning, seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

When can take be used instead of snatch?

The meanings of take and snatch largely overlap; however, take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of snatch
Verb
The thieves snatched his wallet containing a credit card before fleeing the scene. Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025 The sturdy compression fabric smoothes everything out, and the contrast detail visually snatches my waistline in the best way possible. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
The text, sung by two sopranos, may well have been in Esperanto, as only snatches were decipherable. Alan G. Artner, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2017 The beat is now peppy with drum and snatches of piano, a common Beatles rhythm. Nicholas Dawidoff, The Atlantic, 18 May 2017 See All Example Sentences for snatch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatch
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
  • To help balance his budget, the governor wants to grab roughly $300 million from the $10 billion climate bond approved overwhelmingly by voters in November.
    George Skelton, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Gordon did score Newcastle’s second goal that night, when Quansah’s lack of familiarity with the role caught him out.
    Andy Jones, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Pursue in order to catch.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • What happened earlier Thursday Law enforcement officers had been looking for Manning, who was wanted in the abduction of his daughter, Giuliana Manning, about 11:20 p.m. Thursday from a home just outside of Riverside in unincorporated Platte County.
    Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, ended 15 months of war triggered by Hamas' 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of approximately 250 hostages.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The area around the strait in the past has seen Iran seize commercial ships and purportedly launch attacks since President Donald Trump first unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.
    Graham Underwood, arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Both deals were first violated in 2014 when Putin seized Crimea and backed Russian separatist forces in the Donbas region.
    Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Death row inmate Jessie Hoffman was convicted of the brutal rape and murder of 28-year-old Molly Elliott in 1996.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Rodger Brown, from Pinehurst, was identified as the suspect in the 1979 rape and murder of Kathryn Donohue who was 31-years-old at the time, Prince George’s County police in Maryland said in a March 18 news release.
    Natalie Demaree, Charlotte Observer, 18 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on snatch

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