as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
I snapped up the last remaining cupcake before anyone else could get their mitts on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snapping (up)
Verb
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The Jaguars used their first pick of the NFL draft to land the blocking tight end Friday night, grabbing him in the second round with the 56th selection.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026 -
The Seahawks stayed put yet again at the end of the second round, grabbing TCU safety Bud Clark with the 64th pick.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Chicago White Sox have been searching for offensive production from the catching position.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Sophomore Nate Roberts is a 6-5, 240-pounder who has blocking experience and showed off versatility catching passes in the spring.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Joaquín Guzmán, a former leader of the Chapitos, confessed to the 2024 kidnapping of Zambada, snatching him at a meeting, flying him by private plane to the United States and handing him over to authorities.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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This adjustable, two-piece lanyard set helps reduce the chances of a passerby or someone speeding by on a scooter from snatching your phone.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets, seizing a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory on Thursday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Multiple videos show a masked federal agent seizing a 57-year-old woman, who says she was put in a chokehold, during the protest in Durango.—
Morgan Lee,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Six years later, after months of military buildup in the Caribbean, the United States launched an unprecedented military operation in Venezuela, bombing Caracas and capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the Presidential Palace.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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From Edward Steichen to Annie Leibovitz, Vanity Fair has been capturing the greatest physical forms in sport, fitness, and dance for a century.—
Jonathan Pace,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Snapping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snapping%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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