51Թ

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View synonyms for

grab

1

[grab]

verb (used with object)

grabbed, grabbing 
  1. to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch.

    He grabbed me by the collar.

    Synonyms: , ,
  2. to take illegal possession of; seize forcibly or unscrupulously.

    to grab land.

  3. to obtain and consume quickly.

    Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.

  4. Slang.

    1. to cause a reaction in; affect.

      How does my idea grab you?

    2. to arouse the interest or excitement of.

      The book was O.K., but it just didn't grab me.



verb (used without object)

grabbed, grabbing 
  1. to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed byat ).

    He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.

  2. (of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; catch.

noun

  1. a sudden, quick grasp or snatch.

    to make a grab at something.

  2. seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.

  3. something that is grabbed.

  4. a mechanical device for gripping objects.

  5. the capacity to hold or adhere.

    The glue was so old it had lost its grab.

grab

2

[grab]

noun

  1. a ship having two or three masts with a square rig, common on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries.

grab

/ ɡæ /

verb

  1. to seize hold of (something)

  2. (tr) to seize illegally or unscrupulously

  3. (tr) to arrest; catch

  4. (intr) (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering

  5. informal(tr) to catch the attention or interest of; impress

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or an instance of grabbing

  2. a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator

  3. something that is grabbed

  4. informalavailable to be bought, claimed, or won

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • grabbable adjective
  • ungrabbing adjective
  • ˈ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of grab1

First recorded in 1580–90; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German grabben, Swedish grabba

Origin of grab2

First recorded in 1670–80; from Arabic ܰ literally, “raven”
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of grab1

C16: probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch grabben; related to Swedish grabba, Sanskrit پ he seizes
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. up for grabs, available to anyone willing to expend the energy to get it.

    The Republican nomination for mayor was up for grabs.

In addition to the idiom beginning with grab, also see how does that grab you; up for grabs.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Some believe it’s a cynical cash grab by the author’s heirs, some that it’s simply a troubling betrayal of privacy.

From

Although it’s unclear how much states could lose, the revenue up for grabs is big.

From

He did not lunge at Noem and was still paces away from her when her security detail grabbed the senator.

From

Gryphon Woodson, a new high school graduate, grabbed a pair of goggles and a black bandanna to cover her face.

From

Of the impulse to take a photo, to grab the moment, we hear Cartier-Bresson excitedly tell Turner-Seed, “Life is once, forever.”

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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