grab by the lapels
Aggressively take hold
To grab by the lapels is to seize someone by the front flaps of their jacket or coat, pulling them close—a gesture of urgency, confrontation, or desperate need for attention.
The phrase often appears figuratively for anything that demands immediate engagement: The opening scene grabs you by the lapels and doesn't let go.
A book, film, or argument that grabs you by the lapels forces you to pay attention whether you want to or not.
- confrontFace squarely, address directly
- graspSeize or understand
- seizeTake suddenly, forcibly
- forcefulExerting strong pressure
- wrestSeize by force
get in someone's face · hold · pin down · urgent · snatch · challenge · compel · pull · yank · accost · clutch · tug · insistent · assert oneself · twist someone's arm · collar · in-your-face · make a scene
grab by the lapelsgentle touch
handle with kid gloves · caress · soft touch · let go · hands off
grab by the lapelsleave alone
Refrain from disturbing
ignore · tiptoe around · beat around the bush · soft-pedal · whisper
grab, grabs, grabbed, grabbing, grabber, grabby, lapel, lapels