SNAPPING (UP) Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

snapping (up)

verb

present participle of snap (up)

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for snapping (up)

Verb

San Martin was also tasked with grabbing the cash tray, which contained $17,000.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
The question of how law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will be affected by these potential tax cuts have fueled headline-grabbing debates across the state.

— Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Peltola is a gun-owning, fish-catching Alaska-bush native, who has worked for mines and supports oil drilling, and is allied with the state’s largest labor unions.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
But for audiences outside North America, catching Nathan Fielder’s three-hour documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes — now expected to be a major player in awards season — has become a frustrating waiting game.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

This tour represents Brooks’ latest effort to push back against music industry headwinds — specifically, spiraling ticket prices and bots or brokers snatching up prime tickets during onsales before fans have access.

— Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026
Running around snatching pythons out of the jungle isn't my idea of fun, but someone has to do it.

— Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of snatching

Verb

Developed by engineers at the University of Pennsylvania, the system, called Fast Feature Field (F³), processes information from event cameras, which detect changes in light rather than capturing conventional images.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
The latest season, currently being aired, depicts a fictional Chinese intelligence agency capturing and torturing some of the Japanese spies.

— Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of capturing

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.

Browse Nearby Words

snapping back

snapping (up)

snappish

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Snapping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snapping%20%28up%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of snapping (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

wraith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes