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snatch

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To grasp and remove quickly.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

snach
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈsnætʃ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To grasp and remove quickly.

  2. transitive

    To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony.

  3. intransitive

    To attempt to seize something suddenly.

  4. transitiveinformalfigurativeby extension

    To take (a victory) at the last moment.

  5. transitiveinformal

    To do something quickly in the limited time available.

  6. transitiveinformal

    To steal.

noun

  1. A quick grab or catch.

  2. A short period.

  3. A piece of some sound, usually music or conversation.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony.

Used this way, snatch is a reasonably familiar word with a faintly unfavourable edge. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.

Emotional tone
Slightly negative
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Sudden and forceful
Usage feel
Blunt and forceful

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use snatch

  • “Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone.”verb
  • “The cat snatched at the butterflies.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

snatch away

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • snatch blocknounCompound term

    A pulley-block that can be opened to receive the bight of a rope.

  • snatch upverbCompound term

    To grasp hastily or eagerly.

  • body snatchernounCompound term

    Someone who takes bodies from graves and sells them for anatomical dissection.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.