grab

/græb/

/græb/

Other forms: grabbed; grabbing; grabs

When you grab something, you clutch at it. When a party-goer breaks open a piñata, the other guests usually grab wildly at the candy that cascades out of it.

You can grab for the string of a balloon as it floats away, or grab your friend in a hug. Another way to grab is to make an impression: "When I hear a marching band, it grabs my attention." A "grab bag" is a random mixture of things, or a bag of goodies you can reach into and grab from. If something's "up for grabs." it's available: "This last piece of pie is up for grabs!"

Definitions of grab

1. verb

   take or grasp suddenly
   “She grabbed the child's hand and ran out of the room”

   type of:

   clutch, prehend, seize

   take hold of; grab
2. verb

   get hold of or seize quickly and easily
   synonyms: snaffle, snap up

   types:

   hog

   take greedily; take more than one's share

   type of:

   take

   take into one's possession
3. verb

   take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
   “Grab the elevator door!”

   synonyms: catch, take hold of

   catch

   be the catcher

   types:

   harpoon

   spear with a harpoon

   fish

   catch or try to catch fish or shellfish

   hook

   catch with a hook

   net, nett

   catch with a net

   intercept, stop

   seize on its way

   crab

   fish for crab

   seine

   fish with a seine; catch fish with a seine

   scallop, scollop

   fish for scallops

   rail

   fish with a handline over the rails of a boat

   brail

   haul fish aboard with brails

   angle

   fish with a hook

   shrimp

   fish for shrimp

   net fish

   fish with nets

   shark

   hunt shark

   trawl

   fish with trawlers

   still-fish

   fish with the line and bait resting still or stationary in the water

   seize

   hook by a pull on the line

   prawn

   fish for prawns

   cut off, cut out

   cut off and stop

   type of:

   clutch, prehend, seize

   take hold of; grab
4. verb

   make a grasping or snatching motion with the hand
   “The passenger grabbed for the oxygen mask”

   type of:

   move

   move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
5. verb

   capture the attention or imagination of
   “This story will grab you”

   synonyms: seize

   type of:

   fascinate, intrigue

   cause to be interested or curious
6. verb

   obtain illegally or unscrupulously
   “Grab power”

   type of:

   obtain

   come into possession of
7. noun

   the act of catching an object with the hands
   “he made a grab for the ball before it landed”

   synonyms: catch, snap, snatch

   types:

   fair catch

   (American football) a catch of a punt on the fly by a defensive player who has signalled that he will not run and so should not be tackled

   interception

   (American football) the act of catching a football by a player on the opposing team

   reception

   (American football) the act of catching a pass in football

   rebound

   the act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot

   shoestring catch

   (baseball) a running catch made near the ground

   interlock, interlocking, mesh, meshing

   the act of interlocking or meshing

   type of:

   touch, touching

   the act of putting two things together with no space between them
8. noun

   a mechanical device for gripping an object
   type of:

   mechanical device

   mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles