What does "snatch" mean?
A quick grab or catch.
Snatch
/snæt͡ʃ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A quick grab or catch.
- Grammar: snatch is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: catch, grab, abduce, abduct.
- Useful contrasts: consent, eternity, forfeit.
- Usage evidence: Love is something that you can neither snatch away nor express.
How to use "snatch"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "snatch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "snatch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "snatch" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "snatch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "snatch" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "catch" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "snatch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A quick grab or catch.
"The leftfielder makes a nice snatch to end the inning."
- 2 the act of catching an object with the hands wordnet
- 3 A short period.
"At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches,"
- 4 a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted overhead in one rapid motion wordnet
- 5 A competitive weightlifting event in which a barbell is lifted from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement.
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 (law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment wordnet
- 7 A piece of some sound, usually music or conversation.
"I heard a snatch of Mozart as I passed the open window."
- 8 obscene terms for female genitals wordnet
- 9 The vulva. slang, vulgar
"Claude, is it true what they say about Olovia? Of course she’s getting a little old for us—what about Marilyum, did you try her snatch?"
- 10 a small fragment wordnet
- 11 Rapid, uncommanded jerking or oscillation of the ailerons of some aircraft at high Mach numbers, resulting from shock wave formation at transonic speeds.
"If, after the pilot notices the overspeed, he deploys the spoilers, or if aileron "snatch" rolls the airplane to an excessive bank angle, it may become impossible to recover."
- 12 A brief period of exertion. dated
- 13 A catching of the voice. dated
- 14 A hasty snack; a bite to eat. dated
- 15 A quibble. dated
Verb
- 1 To grasp and remove quickly. transitive
"He snatched up the phone."
- 2 to make grasping motions wordnet
- 3 To attempt to seize something suddenly. intransitive
"to snatch at a rope"
- 4 to grasp hastily or eagerly wordnet
- 5 To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony. transitive
"to snatch a kiss"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom wordnet
- 7 To steal. informal, transitive
"Someone has just snatched my purse!"
- 8 To take (a victory) at the last moment. broadly, figuratively, informal, transitive
"But, with United fans in celebratory mood as it appeared their team might snatch glory, they faced an anxious wait as City equalised in stoppage time."
- 9 To do something quickly in the limited time available. informal, transitive
"He snatched a sandwich before catching the train."
Example
"Love is something that you can neither snatch away nor express."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "snatch"?
Common synonyms include: catch, grab, abduce, abduct, abduct, abducted.
How do you use "snatch" in a sentence?
Love is something that you can neither snatch away nor express.
How do you pronounce "snatch"?
Pronounced /snæt͡ʃ/.
Etymology
From Middle English snacchen, snecchen (“to snap; seize”), from Old English *snæċċan, *sneċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *snakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *snakjaną (“to whiff, sniff, catch wind of; to taste-test, nibble”), related to Proto-Germanic *snakōną (“to breathe, blow, sigh”) and *snakkōną (“to blather, jabber, chatter”). Cognate with Middle Dutch snacken (“to snap [of a dog]”), Norwegian Nynorsk snaka (“to snatch [of animals]”). Related also to Dutch snakken (“to sob, pant, long for”), Low German snacken (“to chatter”), German schnacken (“to chat”), Danish snakke (“to chat”) and Norwegian snakke (“to chat”). Related to snack.