snatch
gb/snˈæt͡ʃ/ us/snˈæt͡ʃ/
B1
English
~ 2000
kikap, elragad, kitép, hirtelen odakapás, odakapó mozdulat, beiktat, beszorít, időt szakít valamire, szakítás
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to snatch [something] from [someone/somewhere]
The thief managed to snatch her purse and run away.
A tolvajnak sikerült kikapnia a retiküljét, és elfutott.
He snatched the letter from my hands before I could read it.
Kikapta a levelet a kezemből, mielőtt elolvashattam volna.
A gust of wind snatched the hat off his head.
She snatched the phone before he could answer it.
Learner examples
The boy snatched the ball from his friend.
A fiú kikapta a labdát a barátja kezéből.
She snatched the pen from the desk.
Kikapta a tollat az asztalról.
He snatched the bag and ran.
I snatched the book from the table.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'snatch' with 'catch'. 'Catch' means to grab something coming toward you, while 'snatch' means to quickly take something, often from someone else.
Meaning
Quickly grab something by force
Collocations
snatch a bag
|snatch an opportunity
|snatch from the table
|snatch the phone
|snatch victory
Synonyms
grab (A more general term for taking something quickly, not always implying force or illegality.)
Antonyms
give (The opposite action of willingly handing something to someone.)
Themes
crime
|daily life
|movement
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
To take something quickly, usually without asking first.
To seize something quickly, often suddenly and without permission.
NOUN
B1
2
He made a snatch at the ball but missed.
Hirtelen odakapott a labda után, de elvétette.
The police arrested him during a bag snatch in the street.
A rendőrök utcai táskalopás közben tartóztatták le.
With one snatch, she took the paper from the desk.
Learner examples
He made a snatch at the toy.
Hirtelen odakapott a játék után.
The man tried a snatch of her bag.
A férfi megpróbálta kikapni a nő táskáját.
She made a snatch and took the pen.
Meaning
A quick, sudden grab
Collocations
a snatch attempt
|in one snatch
|make a snatch at
Synonyms
grab (A general term for taking suddenly, not necessarily implying illegality.)
Antonyms
release (Letting go instead of taking hold.)
Themes
movement
|crime
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
A short, fast action of taking something quickly.
A sudden, quick act of taking or grabbing something.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to snatch [a break / some rest / a few hours' sleep]
I managed to snatch a quick lunch between meetings.
Sikerült beiktatnom egy gyors ebédet a megbeszélések között.
She snatched a few hours of sleep before her flight.
Beiktatott néhány óra alvást a repülőútja előtt.
He snatched a moment to call his family.
Learner examples
I snatched a nap after work.
Munka után beiktattam egy rövid szunyókálást.
She snatched a quick lunch.
Beiktatott egy gyors ebédet.
He snatched some rest before dinner.
Meaning
Do something quickly in short time
Collocations
snatch a nap
|snatch a moment
|snatch some rest
Synonyms
grab (Informal use meaning to take a short opportunity for something.)
Antonyms
waste time (To use time inefficiently instead of making quick use of it.)
Themes
time
|daily life
|daily_life
|work
Definition
To do something fast when you only have a little time.
To manage to do something quickly in a short amount of time, especially when busy or in a hurry.
NOUN
C1
4
szakítás
C1
Her snatch was the best of the competition.
Az ő szakítása volt a verseny legjobbja.
He practiced the snatch for months before the tournament.
Hónapokig gyakorolta a szakítást a verseny előtt.
The coach corrected my grip during the snatch.
Learner examples
He did a heavy snatch in training.
Edzésen nagy súllyal végzett szakítást.
The athlete practiced her snatch.
A sportoló gyakorolta a szakítást.
I learned how to do a snatch.
Meaning
One-motion weightlifting lift
Collocations
Olympic snatch
|perfect snatch technique
Synonyms
lift (A more general term for raising weight, not specific to this style.)
Themes
sports
Definition
A weightlifting move where you lift the bar from the floor over your head in one movement.
In weightlifting, the act of lifting a barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion.
Grammar
Dictionary form
snatch
IPA
GB/snˈæt͡ʃ/
US/snˈæt͡ʃ/
Syllables & stress
snatch (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (snatch)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: snatch
- Plural: snatches
Verb
- Base: snatch
- 3rd Person Singular: snatches
- Present Participle: snatching
- Past: snatched
Word family
Forms
snatches
noun
snatching
verb
snatched
verb
Core family
snatcher
noun
Expressions
snatch and grab
1/snˈæt͡ʃ ˈænd ɡɹˈæb/
fixed phrase
Quick theft and escape
A crime where someone takes something fast and runs away.
Examples
- The police warned about recent snatch and grab incidents downtown.
- Snatch and grab crimes are often over in seconds.
snatch up
1/snˈæt͡ʃ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Quickly take or buy something available
To take or buy something quickly before it is gone.
Examples
- Fans snatched up all the tickets within minutes.
- She snatched up the last piece of cake.
snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
1/snˈæt͡ʃ vˈɪktɚi fɹˈʌm ðə d͡ʒˈɔz əv dɪfˈit/
idiom
informal
win when close to losing
To win at the last moment when you were almost losing.
Examples
- The underdogs snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a last-minute goal.
- She managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the debate.
snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
2/snˈæt͡ʃ vˈɪktɚi fɹˈʌm ðə d͡ʒˈɔz əv dɪfˈit/
idiom
Win after almost losing
To win when it seemed you were going to lose.
Examples
- The team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with two late goals.
- She snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final seconds of the match.