Grab
Grab verb - To take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly.
Shake hands and grab are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Shake hands" instead a verb "Grab".
Shake hands
Shake hands verb - Take someone's hands and shake them as a gesture of greeting or congratulation.
Grab and shake hands are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Grab" instead a verb phrase "Shake hands".
Both terms in one sentence
- Parodied in Red Dwarf; Kryten and the GELF leader present their hands as if to shake hands but instead reach past each other's hands and grab the other's ankles and then bounce up and down on their other legs.
Source: Cross-Cultural Handshake
Cite this Source
Shake hands and Grab. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/grab/shake_hands
Grab & Shake hands. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/grab/shake_hands>.
Shake hands or Grab. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/grab/shake_hands.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "grab" and "shake hands" have occurred on timeline