snatch 1 of 2

snatch

2 of 2

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
Hartig snatched up the reins, putting down the rifle. Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 25 May 2025 Discovery snatched up the rights to the Open in a 10-year, $650 million deal. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 May 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
  • Appeal To All Five Senses People still like going out, meeting others and grabbing coffee.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Scott grabbed some pizza and returned to park her Subaru near the West Shore Market to wait for Serafini.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Three days later, as the young boy recovers, a 17-year-old was caught and charged for the alleged shooting.
    Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025
  • Owners caught in a downward spiral don’t have an incentive to pay bills and operate the building.
    Shimon Shkury, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • In the 23 years that have followed since Elizabeth’s abduction, Ed and Lois have spoken out on the trauma their family endured on numerous occasions.
    Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • Attacks on girls’ schools and the abduction of girls at school or on the way to school have frequently targeted girls’ education because of harmful gender norms.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Flores, a 70-year-old retired welder, had illegally seized a home five years ago after its owner, the California Department of Transportation, had left it vacant.
    Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
  • Morena overhauled the court system late last year, fueling protests and criticism that the reform is an attempt by those in power to seize on their political popularity to gain control of the branch of government, that was until now, out of their reach.
    MARÍA VERZA, Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Tristan is facing 11 charges including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking, which are connected to allegations from a sole victim.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 29 May 2025
  • The charges span rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain, prosecutors said.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatch. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on snatch

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