cash grab
noun
plural cash grabs
: the greedy pursuit of an opportunity for making money especially when done without regard for ethics, concerns, or consequences : money grab
Some Republican leaders have also said any attempt to undo the state's flat tax amounts to a cash grab.—
Steve LeBlanc
Steve LeBlanc… money generated by single-use plastic going onto the market is being swallowed up in a cash grab … with little or no accountability or strategy underpinning it.—Adam Leyland
Adam Leyland
also
: something (such as a product or service) used for a cash grab
HBO announced a new Harry Potter TV series, and it is an obvious cash grab that is insulting to true fans. —Victor Lana
Victor Lana But is it good enough to satisfy discerning taco-loving hipsters or is it simply a shameless, cultural appropriating cash grab? —Joey Morona
Joey Morona It might be more feasible to just give up on college football being anything but a soulless cash grab … —David Schraub
David Schraub Examples of cash grab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some see the proliferation of add-on services as a cash grab, since tests like PGT-A are rarely covered by insurance and can cost thousands of dollars out of pocket.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025
Rather than dismissing tolling as an inequitable cash grab, policymakers should recognize it as a fair and necessary strategy to maintain and modernize transportation infrastructure.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
Crypto executives criticized the move as a cash grab, saying that Mr. Trump had undercut the industry’s credibility at the very moment when proponents were seeking a more prominent place for digital currencies in mainstream finance and business.
—David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Next, the women get to try their hand at a literal cash grab in one of those money booths.
—EW.com, 11 Feb. 2025
Some sourness is lingering after Trump and his wife launched meme coins, which critics said looked like an unseemly cash grab.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Ross says extra charges are not a cash grab by flight providers.
—Doug Gollan, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
This movie shoots for something beyond a cynical cash grab, which is what lifts it to the fifth spot, but if the Transformers movies are to keep going, Bay is going to have to stab someone in the heart with a shot of adrenaline to bring the excitement back to the bots.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
The recklessness of Trump’s latest cash grab is surely a sign of things to come, too, as the president rolls back regulations on crypto that protect investors and keep traditional banking somewhat sheltered from the chaos of the crypto industry.
—Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
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.
Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025
Rather than dismissing tolling as an inequitable cash grab, policymakers should recognize it as a fair and necessary strategy to maintain and modernize transportation infrastructure.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
Crypto executives criticized the move as a cash grab, saying that Mr. Trump had undercut the industry’s credibility at the very moment when proponents were seeking a more prominent place for digital currencies in mainstream finance and business.
—David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Next, the women get to try their hand at a literal cash grab in one of those money booths.
—EW.com, 11 Feb. 2025
Some sourness is lingering after Trump and his wife launched meme coins, which critics said looked like an unseemly cash grab.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Ross says extra charges are not a cash grab by flight providers.
—Doug Gollan, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
This movie shoots for something beyond a cynical cash grab, which is what lifts it to the fifth spot, but if the Transformers movies are to keep going, Bay is going to have to stab someone in the heart with a shot of adrenaline to bring the excitement back to the bots.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
The recklessness of Trump’s latest cash grab is surely a sign of things to come, too, as the president rolls back regulations on crypto that protect investors and keep traditional banking somewhat sheltered from the chaos of the crypto industry.
—Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Articles Related to cash grab
Cite this Entry
“Cash grab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20grab. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share