EN

Synonyms for grab

20 synonyms
2 meanings

noun
verb

Most common

snap grasp snatch pluck thrust

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

1. Snatch

snatch, take, hold, grasp, snap, nab informal, clutch, pluck, capture, fondle, apprehension, catch dated, grabble rare

Other

Verb

1. Snap up

snap up informal, snaffle informal

Other

seize, bite off, impress, glaum rare

Definitions

n. 1
A sudden snatch at something.
v. 1
To grip suddenly; to seize; to clutch.
I grabbed her hand to pull her back from the cliff edge.

Related words

Word family: grab-and-go grabber grabble grabby grapple
Phrases: grab-bag bash and grab cash grab grab and run grab game grab handle grab hold grab the headlines
Other spellings: ghorab ghrab ghurab gurab

Forms

Plural: grabs → snatches, takes, holds, grasps…
Past participle: grabbed
e.g. grabbed → snaffled, seized, impressed, glaumed…

Example sentences

snap Snap out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
grasp I was able to grasp the main points of the speech.
snatch Boldi tried to snatch the toy out of Martha's hands.
pluck Can you pluck up the courage to talk to her?
thrust Sami has been thrust into a role he never imagined.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
grab		rising
snap		rising
grasp		rising
snatch		rising
pluck		rising
thrust		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: nab¹
4 letters: take¹, hold¹, snap¹
5 letters: catch¹, grasp¹, seize¹, pluck¹, glaum
6 letters: clutch¹, thrust¹, snatch¹, fondle²
7 letters: capture², impress², snaffle, grabble
12 letters: apprehension⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (fondle² = 2 syllables).