US /næb/ UK /næb/
verb

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    to catch or seize suddenly, especially a wrongdoer

    Police managed to nab the pickpocket before he fled the station.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to catch or seize suddenly,... catchseizegrabsnatchapprehendcollarcapturenick
Opposites
Word family
Related forms napkidnap

Etymology

First recorded in the late 17th century, perhaps from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian and Swedish dialect nappa, 'to catch, snatch'); related to nap in the sense of seizing.

Topics

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