snatch
v.v. to take something quickly and suddenly, often by surprise. You use this when someone grabs an object before you can react.
v. to seize or take something quickly and abruptly, often by surprise or force. Transitive; typically implies speed and suddenness rather than gentle handling.
She snatched the book from the table.
The thief snatched the woman's handbag and ran into the crowd.
He snatched a brief moment of silence before the storm broke, listening intently to the wind's rising howl.
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.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
- 01
snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
To suddenly lose a contest one seemed very likely to win, especially through mistakes or bad judgment.
- 02
snatch the pebble
To fully grasp the meaning of a concept or to develop a skill to a high degree of proficiency, often that rivals some specific expert.
- 03
snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
To suddenly win a contest when it appears that loss is a foregone conclusion, to succeed in an endeavor through reversal of fortune, skill, effort, or good judgment.