1
: a concealed or unexpected difficulty or obstacle
2
a
: an irregularity that suggests the result of tearing
especially
: a pulled thread in fabric
a snag in her stocking
b
: a jagged tear made by or as if by catching on a snag
3
: a rough sharp or jagged projecting part : protuberance: such as
a
: a projecting tooth
also
: a stump of a tooth
b
: one of the secondary branches of an antler
4
a
: a standing dead tree
b
: a tree or branch embedded in a lake or stream bed and constituting a hazard to navigation
snagged; snagging
1
a
: to catch and usually damage on or as if on a snag
b
: to halt or impede as if by catching on a snag
2
: to catch or obtain usually by quick action or good fortune
3
: to hew, trim, or cut roughly or jaggedly
4
: to clear (something, such as a river) of snags
Synonyms
Examples of snag in a Sentence
Noun
I caught my sleeve on a snag and tore it.
My sweater has a snag where I caught it on a nail.
Verb
I snagged my favorite sweater on a nail.
The shortstop snagged the grounder.
The police snagged the suspect as he was trying to run away.
I managed to snag the information I needed from the Internet.
Can I snag a ride from you?
Recent Examples on the Web
Anya Meyerowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Supply chains snags then were so bad that more than 100 container ships were idling outside the Port of Los Angeles, waiting for a berth to unload.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The one possible snag is the degree to which the Apple Cup rivalry could create internal friction.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
And students seemed not too bothered by the snags on Saturday.
—Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
The pharmaceutical industry’s all-out attack on President Biden’s drug negotiation initiative for Medicare — comprising nine federal lawsuits (so far) and lots of heavy breathing by lobbyists — has just run into a major snag.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
The snag threatens the spacecraft's ability to land on the moon.
—Spencer Elliott, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
Those price hikes, exacerbated by supply chain snags in late 2021, helped push the annual inflation rate to a four-decade high of more than 9% by summer 2022.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024
In today’s economic climate—between supply chain snags, a downturned economy, inflation, the skills gap and more—cost reduction is top of mind for many procurement teams.
—Edmund Zagorin, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
The efforts were successful and the 330 P4 snagged a 1-2 finish at Monza in 1967, followed by a second and third place finish at Le Mans (Ford squeaked out a victory in a GT40), and then took 1-2-3 in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
Sugarloaf Trail: Hike this trail (1.8 miles round trip) along a moderate ridgeline to snag the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, one of the highest points in the monument (7,310 feet), still crowned by an old fire lookout tower.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
So, ditch your old skinny jeans and snag one of these pairs that even my Gen Z teens approve of.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images 6d ago / 5:59 PM PDT
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The South Carolina Gamecocks are headed to the championship
Rebecca Cohen
South Carolina snagged their spot in the championship game, beating NC State 78-59.
—Will Ujek, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024
Head over to the retailer to snag realistic fake plants that will add some low-maintenance greenery to your home, starting at just $10.
—Lauren Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2024
Beyond snagging one of the top quarterbacks in the portal (starter Cam Ward, via Washington State), the Canes appear to have added a legitimate player in Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger, who’s staking his claim for the No. 2 job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
The loss of power is caused by an internal transmission failure of the K1 snag ring, which becomes dislodged.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
The small snag is, everyone else gets the same idea, and during peak seasons, carving out a spot on the shore to set out our picnic or recline with our beach read can feel like an impossible feat of engineering.
—Anya Meyerowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Supply chains snags then were so bad that more than 100 container ships were idling outside the Port of Los Angeles, waiting for a berth to unload.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The one possible snag is the degree to which the Apple Cup rivalry could create internal friction.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
And students seemed not too bothered by the snags on Saturday.
—Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
The pharmaceutical industry’s all-out attack on President Biden’s drug negotiation initiative for Medicare — comprising nine federal lawsuits (so far) and lots of heavy breathing by lobbyists — has just run into a major snag.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
The snag threatens the spacecraft's ability to land on the moon.
—Spencer Elliott, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
Those price hikes, exacerbated by supply chain snags in late 2021, helped push the annual inflation rate to a four-decade high of more than 9% by summer 2022.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024
In today’s economic climate—between supply chain snags, a downturned economy, inflation, the skills gap and more—cost reduction is top of mind for many procurement teams.
—Edmund Zagorin, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
However, those lucky enough to have snagged a spot—starting at £100, or roughly $125—are in for a rare treat.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
The efforts were successful and the 330 P4 snagged a 1-2 finish at Monza in 1967, followed by a second and third place finish at Le Mans (Ford squeaked out a victory in a GT40), and then took 1-2-3 in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
Sugarloaf Trail: Hike this trail (1.8 miles round trip) along a moderate ridgeline to snag the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, one of the highest points in the monument (7,310 feet), still crowned by an old fire lookout tower.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
So, ditch your old skinny jeans and snag one of these pairs that even my Gen Z teens approve of.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images 6d ago / 5:59 PM PDT
Copied
Share
The South Carolina Gamecocks are headed to the championship
Rebecca Cohen
South Carolina snagged their spot in the championship game, beating NC State 78-59.
—Will Ujek, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024
Head over to the retailer to snag realistic fake plants that will add some low-maintenance greenery to your home, starting at just $10.
—Lauren Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2024
Beyond snagging one of the top quarterbacks in the portal (starter Cam Ward, via Washington State), the Canes appear to have added a legitimate player in Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger, who’s staking his claim for the No. 2 job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
The loss of power is caused by an internal transmission failure of the K1 snag ring, which becomes dislodged.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to snag
Dictionary Entries Near snag
Cite this Entry
“Snag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snag. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snag
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a tree or branch when stuck underwater and not visible from the surface
b
: a standing dead tree
2
: an uneven or broken part sticking out from a smooth surface
caught my sweater on a snag
3
: a concealed or unexpected difficulty
our plans hit a snag
snag
2 of 2 verb
snagged; snagging
: to catch on or as if on a snag
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