snatches 1 of 2

noun

plural of snatch, slang
as in rapes
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

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snatches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of snatch
as in grabs
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly the brazen seagull snatched the french fry right from my hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 snatches
Noun
The film’s excellent soundscape, powered by Ari Balouzian’s throbbing, queasy score, often features snatches of Hansen trying out different deliveries of deeply ick messages from the groomer-of-the-moment. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 Its extended depictions of the Trojan War are full of general mayhem, but specific violent acts are either seen in very brief snatches or alluded to through cutaways. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026 The three compressions are Spanxsmooth Swim, which is light compression for barely there smoothing; Spanxshape Swim, medium compression for a little more tummy control and shaping, and Spanxsculpt Swim, strong compression that cinches and snatches. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 These picks start at $11 and range from a one-piece swimsuit that snatches your waist to an everyday pair of wide-leg jeans and this summer-friendly tank top. — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026 This dooms the kingdom to the tyrannical rule of the villainous Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), who swoops in and snatches the throne. — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 23 June 2026 Scylla snatches up six of his men, but the rest make it to Thrinacia. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026 Every time that second title looks close, something happens that snatches the dream away. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 June 2026 Dubbed the Velvet Gang, the trio snatches the overpriced, often monochromatic fashion threads designed by Christie Smith (Demi Moore, in a performance of comedic genius), a pretentious piece of work who stations herself in a leaning building (wink, win to San Francisco there). — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 When the Mafia snatches her anyway, his PTSD returns and launches him on a dark path to vengeance. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026 Roger snatches the boy up and runs through the chaos toward the infirmary. — Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snatches
  1. rapes
  2. grabs
  3. abductions
  4. catches
  5. kidnappings
  6. seizes
  7. captures
Noun
  • Dowd Hall shows how the ASWPL destroyed the notion of white Southern chivalry, as the women flatly denied that lynchings were because of the rapes of white women.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Administration officials say third-country deportations are the only way to remove the most difficult-to-deport immigrants, including violent criminals who have committed rapes and murders.
    — Julian Mark, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of rapes
Verb
  • If anyone who is hired to MC one of the largest events in golf grabs a microphone and joins in on ‘f you’ chants directed at a player in the event you're being paid to be a part of, that person is undoubtedly being fired, regardless of gender.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The suspect runs inside, grabs rolls of lottery tickets, stuffs them into a bag and runs out.
    — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabs
Noun
  • The International Criminal Court in 2023 issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Evonitz kept newspaper clippings about their abductions in a locker in his apartment, and authorities later found both fingerprint and DNA evidence connecting him to the crimes, The Washington Post reported.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of abductions
Verb
  • Life and social structures in remote river villages are rooted in summer fish camps, where the community catches, processes, and preserves the salmon that feeds them through the winter.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Participants step or jump off a platform more than 40 feet above the ground, experiencing a brief moment of free fall before the rope system catches them and slowly lowers them to the ground.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of catches
Noun
  • In 2025, 1,268 kidnappings were reported, a nearly 40% drop from the 2,058 kidnapping reported the previous year, the report stated.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
  • In the '30s, when the Lindbergh baby was abducted, kidnappings and ransoms were so common that high-profile people often secured kidnapping insurance.
    — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of kidnappings
Verb
  • Sid is smart enough to sniff this out, and the show seizes the opportunity to raise the romantic stakes through an adorably British expression of mutual libidinousness.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of seizes
Verb
  • The result is a maximalist record that captures the wide-eyed, everything-at-once optimism of ’90s big beat.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The video captures the brakes being applied and the car veering left to attempt to swerve around the pedestrian, CHP said.
    — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of captures

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Cite this Entry

“Snatches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snatches. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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