Is “steal” a good word for something like grabbing someone's weapon in the course of a struggle?
steal
v. t. 1. To take, and carry away, feloniously; to take without right or leave, and with intent to keep wrongfully; as, to steal the personal goods of another.
So, technically, the word fits both of these sentences. However, in the context of an immediate struggle for life and limb, one of these synonyms might work better:
- grab
- grapple
- grasp
- snap up
- snare
There are other numerous examples, but you get the idea. The question is one of connotation.