snatch 1 of 2

snatch

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noun

slang
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal to the police chief, it didn't look like a snatch, but another case of a bride-to-be getting cold feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word snatch different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of snatch are clutch, grab, grasp, seize, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

When is it sensible to use clutch instead of snatch?

The words clutch and snatch can be used in similar contexts, but clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

How are the words grab and snatch related?

Grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When would grasp be a good substitute for snatch?

The words grasp and snatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

In what contexts can seize take the place of snatch?

While the synonyms seize and snatch are close in meaning, seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

When can take be used instead of snatch?

The meanings of take and snatch largely overlap; however, take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

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 snatch
Verb
There were plenty of candidates to look at, but the biggest being Darnold was snatched up by the Seahawks. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 On the last possession of the third quarter, Jokic missed a desperate three at the shot-clock buzzer, but former Thunder legend Russell Westbrook snatched an offensive rebound and located Jamal Murray for a clutch three. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2025
Noun
The text, sung by two sopranos, may well have been in Esperanto, as only snatches were decipherable. Alan G. Artner, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2017 The beat is now peppy with drum and snatches of piano, a common Beatles rhythm. Nicholas Dawidoff, The Atlantic, 18 May 2017 See All Example Sentences for snatch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatch
Verb
  • At this point, players are ready to grab the $150 bonus or a $1,500 first bet.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Most people scroll past because your opening didn't grab them fast enough.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Over the course of his long career, magician and endurance performer David Blaine has taken on all kinds of death-defying feats: catching a bullet in his teeth, fasting for 44 days, or holding his breath for a record-breaking 17 minutes and 4 seconds, to name a few.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Experiences Over Things In addition, luxury consumers are increasingly choosing to indulge in experiences over material goods and jewelry is caught in that crosswind too.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • While both have been listed among the 24 hostages who are believed to be alive in Gaza, the video was the first proof of life their families have received since their abduction.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The children's systematic abduction began before the invasion and grew as Russia took over more territory.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Late last year, a U.K. court ruled that police could seize $3.3 million worth of frozen assets from the brothers to cover years of unpaid taxes.
    CBS News, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Documents show police seized the following items from Kohberger that night: four medical-style gloves, a white T-shirt, a Champion sweatshirt, a pair of size 13 Nike shoes, and black shorts, boxers and socks, all from Under Armour.
    Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • According to the publication, Selena then took Saldívar to the hospital for examination, where doctors found no evidence of rape.
    Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Last year, Donald Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the anchor inaccurately stated on-air that Trump had been found liable for rape.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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