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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nab
New York overcame a pair of 20-point Boston leads to steal road wins in Games 1 and 2, and nabbed a 3-1 series edge while watching the Celtics' best player, six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum, tear his Achilles tendon late into Game 4.
—
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
After the Cougars’ Taylor Waters won the pole vault with a Colorado 2025 top mark of 16 feet, 9 inches, and his fellow senior teammate Sawyer Carr tied for sixth to nab 3.5 more points, Cherokee Trail needed to finish no worse than sixth in the 1,600-meter relay to capture the title.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
Now, a new study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how the birds use the power of physics to nab their elusive prey.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
More sports are crashing into the streaming arena: YouTube nabbed exclusive rights to an NFL game for the 2025 season, marking the first time the video platform will livestream an NFL game for free in its entirety.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nab
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
After the Cougars’ Taylor Waters won the pole vault with a Colorado 2025 top mark of 16 feet, 9 inches, and his fellow senior teammate Sawyer Carr tied for sixth to nab 3.5 more points, Cherokee Trail needed to finish no worse than sixth in the 1,600-meter relay to capture the title.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
Now, a new study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how the birds use the power of physics to nab their elusive prey.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
More sports are crashing into the streaming arena: YouTube nabbed exclusive rights to an NFL game for the 2025 season, marking the first time the video platform will livestream an NFL game for free in its entirety.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nab
Verb
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Officers went to the townhouse and arrested Woeltz, who is charged with assault, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a gun.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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On March 8, 1990, when Lyle was arrested in connection with their parents' murders, Erik was competing in a tennis tournament in Israel.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
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In the morning, the restaurant doubles as a coffee shop where guests can grab drip coffee, fresh juices, and a small selection of hot and cold breakfast options, including the beloved Hawaiian classic, Loco Moco.—
Jalyn Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2025
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The colorful bar framed in bright neon lights is on the main concourse, so people walking by can grab a drink and head to the casino or other favorite activity, Allen said.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Morena overhauled the court system late last year, fueling protests and criticism that the reform is an attempt by those in power to seize on their political popularity to gain control of the branch of government, that was until now, out of their reach.—
MARÍA VERZA,
Arkansas Online,
3 June 2025
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Arrests made, guns seized after 5 musicians found dead near U.S. border Feds charge California man with threatening to kill Trump on Facebook Cold Case DNA Florida Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor is a news editor at CBSNews.com.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
3 June 2025
Verb
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On his Instagram Stories, Brady gave fans a glimpse into the father-son duo's time on the water, alongside a selfie of them catching some rays.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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Owners caught in a downward spiral don’t have an incentive to pay bills and operate the building.—
Shimon Shkury,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The Sun newspaper reports that, back in 2006, Pike – who starred as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl alongside Ben Affleck and also appeared in Bond film Die Another Day – was speaking to her mother on the phone when she was violently apprehended by a thief on a bicycle.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
25 May 2025
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Like many of those apprehended this week, Fonseca Solorzano arrived in the United States from Honduras via CPB One, an application set up during the Biden administration that provided asylum seekers a way to enter the country legally after going through a background check.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Burglars clean out father-son jewelers, snatch heirlooms, ‘a lifetime’s worth of work.’ More big stories Three more wolf packs confirmed in California as ranchers call for relief.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
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This CeraVe sunscreen stick with SPF 50 has been snatched up more than 20,000 times in the past month alone.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Deputies have detained the other man for questioning, and Homicide Bureau detectives are investigating the shooting, Colome said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
26 May 2025
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In the past two decades, Panahi, like many of his countrymen and fellow-artists, has faced continual persecution by the Iranian government: he has been detained and imprisoned, placed under house arrest, forbidden to leave the country, and banned from filmmaking.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nab. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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