grab

When you "grab" something, you take it with your hands and hold on to it.

• George is 82 years old. He always grabs onto the railing as he walks upstairs or downstairs because he’s afraid of falling.
• The standing passengers on the train grabbed onto the overhead bar to keep their balance as the train moved forward.
• Small children often grab the hands of their mother or father when walking across a busy street.
• The man grabbed the bull by the horns as he tried to bring it to the market.

Sometimes the verb "grab" is very similar to "get."

• I’m going to grab something to eat.
• Renee wants to grab her jacket before she leaves the house.
• Can you grab that book for me please? Thanks.
• Before Jim closed the refrigerator door he grabbed some mustard and ketchup.

A popular expression also makes use of the word "grab." When you say that something is "up for grabs," that means that it is available to anyone:

• This last piece of pizza is up for grabs. Who wants it?
• Brian’s position at the company is up for grabs now that he has left.
• There’s a bunch of free furniture that’s up for grabs. Do you want any of it?

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

This page was first published on January 17, 2012. It was updated on December 6, 2016.