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
Last May, more than 100 workers were arrested at a construction site in Tallahassee, and 84 people were nabbed at the Delta Downs racetrack in Vinton, Louisiana.
—
Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
The couple nabbed a spot at the nearby RV campsite, making a mini vacation out of the weekend.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Tampa Bay passes up on a few top edge rushers here (Miami’s Akheem Mesidor and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk) because of the depth at the position and instead nabs McCoy before a few other corner-needy teams.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Mishaps over Fox’s Baywatch revival, which nabbed $21 million in tax credits to shoot in Los Angeles instead of Australia, brought that fight to the fore.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nab
Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
The couple nabbed a spot at the nearby RV campsite, making a mini vacation out of the weekend.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Tampa Bay passes up on a few top edge rushers here (Miami’s Akheem Mesidor and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk) because of the depth at the position and instead nabs McCoy before a few other corner-needy teams.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Mishaps over Fox’s Baywatch revival, which nabbed $21 million in tax credits to shoot in Los Angeles instead of Australia, brought that fight to the fore.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nab
Verb
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Last month, Spears was arrested in Westlake Village by the California Highway Patrol.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The man accused of murdering him was arrested and charged less than a week later.—
Luke Parker,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rivera’s defense team contended that the gun went off inadvertently in a struggle after Rosen reached into the car and grabbed Rivera.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Walsh locked down Maxey out of a Sixers timeout to force a turnover, and the Celtics grabbed four offensive rebounds on one first-quarter possession, with Walsh and Scheierman accounting for three of them.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That collapse is spurred not just by Napoleon, but also outside pressure from the human-run Pilkington Corporation, intent on reclaiming the freedom that these precious cartoon animals just seized.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
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Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Overall, about half of children with the disease are infected during birth, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said, while others caught it from family members.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 2023, the NCAA put in guidelines that punish athletes caught gambling on their own school, or other sports at their school, with a permanent loss of eligibility.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Authorities reported finding an unknown substance in her vehicle when she was apprehended.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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He was reportedly apprehended at one of his family’s many properties in the city, no manhunt necessary.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Chicago Cubs center fielder Rick Monday snatched an American flag from two men who intended to set it afire during the fourth inning in the outfield at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Suu Kyi, 80, has been detained by the junta since and her whereabouts have been unclear amid a deadly civil war that was triggered by the February 2021 coup that has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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The shooter was detained and is speaking to homicide detectives, police said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nab. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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