nab

verb

ˈnab How to pronounce nab (audio)
nabbed; nabbing
Synonyms of nab

transitive verb

1
: to catch or seize in arrest : apprehend
2
: to seize suddenly

Synonyms of nab

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of nab in a Sentence

We nabbed seats in the front row of the theater. the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Falcons’ second-year safety watched the snap, darted into the backfield and nabbed receiver Zachariah Branch on an end-around. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 Eager as the women are to nab a serial killer, going after the network’s Epstein-like billionaire ringleader proves even more tempting. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Abby followed in her famous father’s footsteps to nab a gig on Saturday Night Live. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026 Over in Midtown East on the fourth floor of the flagship Louis Vuitton store, Le Café Louis Vuitton also has its own hojicha offering for those who are lucky enough to nab a reservation. — Carissa Chesanek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nab

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of English dialect nap

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nab was in 1686

Rhymes for nab

See All Rhymes for nab

Browse Nearby Words

Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve
nab
Nabal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nab. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

nab

verb
ˈnab How to pronounce nab (audio)
nabbed; nabbing
1
: to seize and take into custody : arrest
2
: to seize suddenly
especially : steal entry 1 sense 2a

More from Merriam-Webster on nab

Nglish: Translation of nab for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All