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
Earlier this month, recently signed Los Angeles Football Club player Olivier Giroud had $500,000 in jewelry reportedly snatched from his house. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025 Their journey began more than a year ago when they were confiscated from smugglers at the Mexican border after being snatched from the wild, their mothers killed in the process. Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 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
  • Lozano exited the match in the 28th minute after appearing to grab his left hamstring.
    Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Tari Eason scored 14 points and Dillon Brooks added 12. Sabonis’ injury Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running the floor just over a minute into the game.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The latest rendition to catch our eye—the cup bob—might just be the coolest way to wear short hair yet, though.
    Elle Turner, Glamour, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Attendees pose in front of Halloween decorations, then scramble to catch a photo beneath artificial snow nearby.
    Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • To many Israelis, the abduction of the mother and her children epitomized the viciousness of the assault.
    New York Times, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Kfir was just shy of nine-months-old and Ariel was 4 at the time of the abduction.
    Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In a lightning three-week offensive, the M23 took control of eastern Congo's main city Goma and seized the second largest city, Bukavu.
    JANVIER BARHAHIGA AND MONIKA PRONCZUK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Late last year, a U.K. court ruled that police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes from the pair and freeze some of their accounts.
    STEPHEN McGRATH, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Several celebrities have opened up about their experiences with Diddy, specifically his parties, since the Bad Boy co-founder was accused of rape, assault, and more.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 6 Mar. 2025
  • That announcement on his first day in office gave clemency to more than 1,500 Jan. 6, 2021, insurrectionists and protesters for their assault on the U.S. Capitol — including some convicted for beating police and with prior convictions for such crimes as rape, manslaughter and domestic violence.
    Bill Hamilton, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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