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Definition of snatch verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

snatch

verb
 
/snætʃ/
 
/snætʃ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they snatch
 
/snætʃ/
 
/snætʃ/
he / she / it snatches
 
/ˈsnætʃɪz/
 
/ˈsnætʃɪz/
past simple snatched
 
/snætʃt/
 
/snætʃt/
past participle snatched
 
/snætʃt/
 
/snætʃt/
-ing form snatching
 
/ˈsnætʃɪŋ/
 
/ˈsnætʃɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [transitive, intransitive] to take something quickly and often rudely or roughly synonym grab
    • snatch something (+ adv./prep.) She managed to snatch the gun from his hand.
    • Gordon snatched up his jacket and left the room.
    • (+ adv./prep.) Hey, you kids! Don't all snatch!
    Extra Examples
    • She almost snatched the letter from my hand.
    • She leaped to her feet, snatching up her bag.
    • She snatched her hand back.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • quickly
    • away
    verb + snatch
    • try to
    preposition
    • at
    • from
    • out of
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] snatch somebody/something (from somebody/something) to take somebody/something away from a person or place, especially by force synonym steal
    • The raiders snatched $100 from the cash register.
    • The baby was snatched from its parents' car.
    • Someone tried to snatch her purse.
    Topics Crime and punishmentc1
  3. [transitive] snatch something to take or get something quickly, especially because you do not have much time
    • I managed to snatch an hour's sleep.
    • The team snatched a dramatic victory in the last minute of the game.
  4. Word OriginMiddle English sna(c)che (verb) ‘suddenly snap at’, (noun) ‘a snare’; perhaps related to snack.
Idioms
snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
  1. to win something even though it seemed up until the last moment that you would lose The idiom is often reversed for humorous effect to show that a person or team were expected to win, but then lost at the last moment, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
See snatch in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
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