snatch

1. (transitive) To grasp and remove quickly.Examples: "He snatched up the phone."; "She snatched the letter out of the secretary's hand."; "Snatch me to heaven."transitive

2. (intransitive) To attempt to seize something suddenly.Examples: "to snatch at a rope"Synonyms: grabintransitive

3. (transitive) To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony.Examples: "to snatch a kiss"; "1731-1735, Alexander Pope, Moral Essays when half our knowledge we must snatch, not take"transitive

4. (transitive, informal) To steal.Examples: "Someone has just snatched my purse!"; "Laura snatches coins from inside a truck to make a telephone call, scrounges shoes and clothes for them at a municipal beach, schemes to get a room key so she and Howie can sleep overnight in the Starlight Motel, steals a Jeepster from a deputy sheriff who's trying to arrest them."Synonyms: steal, abduct, abstract, appropriate, bag, bandit, bash and grab, boneinformaltransitive

5. (transitive, informal, figurative, by extension) To take (a victory) at the last moment.Examples: "But, with United fans in celebratory mood as it appeared their team might snatch glory, they faced an anxious wait as City equalised in stoppage time."broadlyfigurativelyinformaltransitive

6. (transitive, informal) To do something quickly in the limited time available.Examples: "He snatched a sandwich before catching the train."; "He snatched a glimpse of her while her mother had her back turned."; "It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers."informaltransitive