snatch and grab
Swift opportunistic robbery
Snatch and grab describes a type of quick theft where someone seizes something valuable and immediately flees, relying on speed rather than stealth or planning.
The phrase often appears in news reports about street crimes targeting phones, purses, or jewelry.
The thief executed a snatch and grab on her necklace while she waited at the bus stop.
As an adjective, it characterizes any rapid, opportunistic action: a snatch-and-grab raid on the competitor's talent pool.
- stealTake without permission
- runMove swiftly on foot
- yankQuick, forceful pull
- handGrasping body part
- sticky fingersHabitual inclination to pilfer
quick getaway · loot · grip · five finger discount · kidnap · abduction · crime · seizure · blitz · lightning raid · swipe · hit-and-run · in broad daylight · chase · mugging · shoplifting · heist · pilfer
- theftstealing, larceny, steal, burglary, robbery
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- guerrilla warfareguerrilla, guerrilla tactics, guerrilla fighter, partisan, partisan warfare
- spy operationscovert ops, black ops, infiltration, exfiltration, deep cover
snatch and grabinside job
Crime with insider help
white-collar crime · caper · embezzlement · securities fraud · art heist
snatch, grab, snatched, snatching, snatcher, snatchers, snatches, grabbed, grabbing