From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgrab at/for something phrasal verbTAKE something FROM SOMEWHEREto quickly and suddenly put out your hand to try and catch or get something I grabbed at the glass just before it fell. Lucy grabbed for the money. → grab→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
grab at/for • Tula residents grabbed at cash offered in return for forms they had filled in.• A lot of people grab for family photographs.• She reached for the.38 jammed into her waistband, trying to pull it free as Stark grabbed for her throat.• Lucy grabbed for it; she was choking with the grip on her throat.• Both parties are grabbing for it.• He grabbed at the barrel and fell with it so that the power of the big man was added to his own strength.• He follows through with his right, wasting no time on punches, just grabbing for the gun.• And felt grabbed at the shoulder. 