nab

verb

ˈnab How to pronounce nab (audio)
Definition of nabnext
1
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the officer nabbed the purse snatcher before he could escape

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly a pickpocket nabbed my wallet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 nab But these ventures are tiny compared to the ranchlands, timberlands, and cropfields many one-percenters are nabbing. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 Later in the video, Reynolds and friends helped the raccoon nab a hot dog lying next to the hole by pushing it in, then offered another — both of which slid into the concrete hole effortlessly. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 However, officers quickly nabbed him and took him into custody. — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 An in-house option for third base could be Bryson Stott, who has slid over there during the Phillies’ infield carousel to accommodate second baseman Luis Arraez, who the team nabbed at the trade deadline. — Anthony Stitt, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nab
  1. arrest
  2. grab
  3. seize
  4. catch
  5. apprehend
  6. snatch
  7. detain
Verb
  • After years of legal proceedings in the United Kingdom and Romania, the Tates were arrested in Miami by US Marshals on July 18 on provisional arrest warrants requested by Britain.
    — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Then, in March 2025, he was arrested for the rape of a 46-year-old woman earlier that year.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrest
Verb
  • Mishka Wilonski had just grabbed pizza from a nearby shop and was walking outside with a friend when the crash happened.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Michael grabbed him, rushed out of the house, and blew through several red lights on the way to the hospital.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The Texas high school football season is underway, and several Fort Worth-area teams seized statement wins.
    — Charles Baggarly August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • But while the Jets’ defense piled up takeaways, the rookie quarterback failed to seize the spotlight during the 23-6 loss to the Giants.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Salas, 20, should soon become the youngest player to catch a big-league game since Ivan Rodriguez debuted with the Texas Rangers in 1991.
    — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Fortunately, one of the most sensitive detectors ever constructed was buried there to catch that fleeting glow and record the neutrinos’ ghostly presence.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of catch
Verb
  • The Esquire piece covers a Texas district attorney named Bill Conradt, who died by suicide in 2006 when Hansen and Dateline’s cameras, as well as law enforcement, attempted to apprehend him at his home as part of an operation covered by the program.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The teens walked away from the wreck with few injuries and tried to run, but authorities apprehended them shortly afterward, officials said.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of apprehend
Verb
  • CEOs have been warning professionals that AI won’t take their jobs—it’ll actually be their tech-savvy coworkers snatching up opportunities.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After the match, Kyle Fletcher snatched the International Championship belt.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of snatch
Verb
  • Prosecutors said that soon afterward, law enforcement detained both defendants and opened a duffle bag Olvera had carried.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ordered detained until trial, he was found dead in his cell at a New York federal jail in August 2019 and his death was ruled a suicide.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of detain

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Cite this Entry

“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nab. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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