# snatch

> English word · Verb · IPA /snæt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #14,416

## Definitions
1. To grasp and remove quickly.
2. To attempt to seize something suddenly.
3. To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony.
4. To steal.
5. To take (a victory) at the last moment.
6. To do something quickly in the limited time available.

## Etymology
From Middle English snacchen, snecchen (“to snap; seize”), from Old English *snæċċan, *sneċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *snakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *snakjaną (“to whiff, sniff, catch wind of; to taste-test, nibble”), related to Proto-Germanic *snakōną (“to breathe, blow, sigh”) and *snakkōną (“to blather, jabber, chatter”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch snacken (“to snap [of a dog]”), Norwegian Nynorsk snaka (“to snatch [of animals]”). Related also to Dutch snakken (“to sob, pant, long for”), Low German snacken (“to chatter”), German schnacken (“to chat”), Danish snakke (“to chat”) and Norwegian snakke (“to chat”). Related to snack.

## Easily confused with
- **swath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-swath)
- **switch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-switch)
- **stitch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-stitch)
- **starch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-starch)
- **snitch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-snitch)
- **swatch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-swatch)
- **snatched** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-snatched)
- **snack** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snack-vs-snatch)
- **search** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/search-vs-snatch)
- **sketch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sketch-vs-snatch)
- **scotch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scotch-vs-snatch)
- **scratch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scratch-vs-snatch)
- **Saatchi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saatchi-vs-snatch)

## Common misspellings (10)
`nsatch`, `santch`, `snacth`, `snatcch`, `snatchh`, `snathc`, `snattch`, `snnatch`, `sntach`, `ssnatch`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/snatch