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
With the market’s recent sell-off, UBS sees opportunities to snatch up good stocks on the cheap. Alex Harring, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025 New world powers were emerging then, trade routes were at stake and nations were aiming to snatch up critical junctures before their adversaries. Michael Loria, USA Today, 4 Apr. 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
  • Antetokounmpo finished the game by scoring 36 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
  • So grab a pencil, a few colors or a coloring book and enjoy your boosted brain power.
    Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Something about it caught the attention of visiting scientists — and for good reason.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
  • On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the mayor of Heath, Ohio — where work was paused — caught the city officials by surprise.
    Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
    Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab, which was tracking the abductions, had counted more than 30,000 children taken from Ukraine to Russia and Belarus since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
    Edward Wong, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • These results suggest that media-savvy Democrats who seize this moment to call out Trump and the MAGA agenda could put themselves in a strong position to become the next leader of the Democratic Party.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • This shift could unlock massive opportunities for entrepreneurs who are bold enough to act, smart enough to wait for clarity, and strategic enough to seize the moment.
    Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Soulja Boy has been ordered to pay a hefty sum to a Jane Doe victim who accused the rapper of rape and assault.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The data had been filed in a high-profile federal lawsuit involving a 15-year-old girl who said Myers Park High School administrators failed to investigate her on-campus rape.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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