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.
Fans packed the bleachers, sweating under the summer sun, or lined up along the concourse, hoping to nab a seat. — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Dolly Parton & Pentatonix Though the 1973 original didn’t score a Grammy despite its two nominations, this gripping collaboration between the queen of country and the a cappella band Pentatonix nabbed the song a trophy in 2017. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 The new skating game from Undercoders nabs a 4-star rating from our reviewer. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 But early this year there were new signs that features were once again a focus, given Megan’s involvement in nabbing The Invite at Sundance in a major festival sale. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 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
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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All