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snatch

snatch

5 9.9
The act of taking someone away by force for money
  • noun
  • /snæʧ/
  • NSFW
translation icon : secuestro
  • It's a simple snatch-and-grab.

Examples

  • During the hearing, the judge described the crime as a particularly violent snatch that shocked the community.

  • Purse snatch.

  • It was meant to be a simple snatch job.

  • "What about that snatch we did with that boy's dog over on Crittenden?" Potter looked in the rearview at White.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Also typical was the use of "snatch squads" to physically chase down, tackle, and arrest targeted individuals (especially those perceived as "leaders") within crowds.

    Academic text (2008)
  • In some places, the youths hurled missiles at the police, who occasionally sent out snatch squads to arrest individual assailants.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The police are investigating a recent snatch that involved the abduction of several individuals.

  • Authorities issued a warning after a series of snatch incidents where victims were taken against their will.

Synonyms

abduction
vssnatch
  • NSFW
137 7.1

Taking someone away by force without permission, often a child

is the legal term for taking and imprisoning any person regardless of relation
capture
vssnatch
112 3.2

The act of taking control of another person or their land by force

is specifically a criminal taking away and holding of a person
kidnapping
vssnatch
  • NSFW
39 4.6

To take someone away by force or trick to ask for money

is the unlawful taking and holding of a person without ransom motive

Antonyms

279 1.8

An act of letting someone or something go free from being held

127 3.9

The act of setting people free from control or unfair treatment

Idioms

A team or person loses an almost certain win in the final minute because of a mistake

To show you are very good at a skill after a lot of practice

Compounds

To steal something quickly and run away

snatch block
  • Specialized
9.3

A pulley that opens so you can place a rope inside without passing the end through

How Violent

abduction
  • NSFW
137 7.1
snatch
  • NSFW
5 9.9
grab
59 1.0

Surface Forms

snatch singular
snatches plural

Etymology

The legal noun snatch means the act of a sudden, forced grab of a person, and it comes from the verb sense of 'taking quickly'. That's why the word is used for abduction or kidnapping.