# power grab

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/power-grab
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An attempt to gain authority in an oppressive or unscrupulous way.

## Examples

- The manager's new rules look like a power grab.
- The board members resigned after the CEO attempted a blatant power grab to control the entire company.
- Historians often view the sudden dissolution of the parliament as a calculated power grab by the regime to silence its political opponents.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.