snap up

snap something up 

1. Lit. to grasp something quickly. Karen snapped her pencil up and strode out of the room. Harry walked through the kitchen and snapped up two cookies on the way.

2. Fig. to purchase something quickly, because the price is low or because the item is so hard to find. (Fig. on {2}.) We put the cheap shirts out for sale this morning and people snapped them up in only a few minutes. They snapped up the bargains quickly.

3. Fig. to believe something eagerly; to believe a lie readily. They are so gullible that you can say anything and they'll snap it up. They will snap up anything that sounds good.

See also: snap, up

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snap up something also snap something up

to buy or obtain something as soon as it is available His new thriller is so popular, fans have snapped up copies as fast as bookstores get them. As soon as the World Series tickets went on sale, fans snapped them up.

See also: snap, up