GRABS Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

grabs 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of grab

as in seizes

to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly don't grab my arm like that

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grabs

2 of 2

noun

plural of grab

as in thefts

an instance of theft a political activist who thinks the government's lease of public lands to logging companies amounts to an illegal land grab

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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 grabs

Verb

For kids, anger often shows up when something doesn’t go their way—like when a playmate grabs their toy. — Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026 Timothy Olyphant grabs a drink ahead of his appearance on Late Night with Seth Myers on July 30. — People Staff, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 In reference to the question that ran on June 30 about the dog that grabs a toy, runs, and then cries, our 6-1/2-year-old goldendoodle does this too. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 After one rejection too many, Grande loses her cool, grabs a chainsaw, and kills the hard-to-please audition panel. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 31 July 2026 Frustrated, Lucky grabs his gun and tries to threaten Cary into giving her the seed phrase. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Kurt’s key takeaways What grabs me here is how much walking support the researchers created without loading someone down with bulky motors. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 Stewart grabs the ring activating it, before the car crashes in the canyon below. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026 This is the kind of bright fragrance that just grabs your senses. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 23 July 2026

Noun

The backup jobs are up for grabs, though, and Monk — who can also play center — appears to be in good shape to claim a spot on the 53-man roster. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Otherwise, the remaining lineup are all acquisition titles up for grabs at TIFF. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 For families Studios, suites, and deluxe level kings are all spacious enough for families—but for the latter of those options be sure to book early, as there are only 16 up for grabs. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026 Current Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican from Overland Park, is running for governor and his position is up for grabs. — Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 Key statewide offices up for grabs Consequential statewide races are also on the ballot across the West. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 With a $75 million prize pool up for grabs, Nigma Galaxy hopes a win would signal that the Arab gaming scene is finally being taken seriously. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 His decision to run as governor leaves Michigan's 10th Congressional seat up for grabs. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 But the Powerball jackpot has been up for grabs for nearly three months. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grabs

Verb

Better, Cretton seizes small moments to put his stamp on this installment.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Rhaenyra, queen of the Blacks, seizes the Iron Throne in King’s Landing with the support of Alicent, who has simply had enough of her unstable and terrible sons.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026

Definition of seizes

Noun

Police later connected the man to thefts totaling $7,000 worth of merchandise from four Elk Grove stores.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Since Thursday, Bitcoin owners who store their crypto with Coldcard, which offers a form of hyper-secure storage known as a hard wallet, have experienced four waves of thefts that have affected more than 5,200 individual addresses.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of thefts

Verb

In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies.

— Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
These picks start at $11 and range from a one-piece swimsuit that snatches your waist to an everyday pair of wide-leg jeans and this summer-friendly tank top.

— Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

Definition of snatches

Verb

Cavatappi’s corkscrew shape catches every bite of the creamy sauce, but elbow macaroni or small shells work just as well.

— Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Payer rules get hand-coded, while clinical edge cases get patched one at a time, usually after someone downstream catches the mistake.

— Fawad Butt, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of catches

Verb

To work around this biological limit, a team from the Beijing Institute of Technology built a system that captures infrared light and converts it into electrical charges.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026
Working with a Master Fitter, golfers hit a series of putts using a variety of putter styles while a TrackMan launch monitor captures key performance data.

— Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of captures

Verb

Things get increasingly bleak, as the family dog’s heart medicine runs out and Jason has to put him out of his misery, and then — in doomsday prepper mode — carves up the body and puts it in the freezer just in case food gets dire.

— William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
The group gets a lot of its money from leadership PACs, which are groups established by members of Congress to help support other candidates.

— Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of gets

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grabby

grabs

grace

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Style

“Grabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grabs. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of grabs

verb

noun

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