snake 1 of 2

noun

ˈsnāk How to pronounce snake (audio)
Definition of snakenext
1
as in serpent
a limbless reptile with a long body snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade

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2
as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others why, that dirty, rotten snake!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance what a snake she was—having an affair with my husband while I was in the hospital!

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snake

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner snaking softly through the brush

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2
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground commandos snaking through the grass toward the house

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of snake
Noun
The Interpol notice says the suspect has a tattoo, possibly of a snake, on her right arm from the shoulder to the elbow. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 Aspiring snake wranglers have a few more days to prepare for the Florida Python Challenge, the state’s annual roundup competition that draws participants from around the United States. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Verb
Fuel rationing has been introduced in many Russian regions, with hours-long queues of cars snaking beside roads. — Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 An arresting sheer dress by the young Turkish British designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu—which uses snaking tendrils of synthetic hair to cover the wearer’s genitals, à la Botticelli’s Venus—towers over an eighteenth-century bronze Venus. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for snake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snake
  1. serpent
  2. dog
  3. traitor
  4. lurk
  5. crawl
  6. viper
  7. jerk
  8. sneak
Noun
  • There is a legend that Prince Albert presented her with a multi-stone serpent ring when they were engaged, and Victoria was buried with the ring.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
  • The collection reinterprets the serpent’s scales through flexible articulated gold links that wrap around diamonds, rubellites, tourmalines, emeralds and sapphires.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of serpent
Noun
  • This cot-style find is made of breathable mesh fabric to keep your dog cool, and the steel frame features skid-resistant feet.
    — Christina Shepherd McGuire, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • Their dog was found alive, which gave the younger Eliezer Alfonzo hope.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • The king refused to look at it, and issued the Proclamation of Rebellion, declaring the colonists traitors and hiring 30,000 German mercenaries to help crush them.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 July 2026
  • Harper suspects Bichette, after seven seasons in Toronto, won’t be treated as a traitor.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of traitor
Verb
  • But the challenge has remained over the decades for popes that the threat of schism, or a rupture within the church, might lurk behind a preference for a more solemn liturgy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Mow regularly and trim your edges, since ticks lurk in tall grass and brush.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • The lights off method is a simple means of identifying places in the garage where bugs or rodents might be crawling in.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 7 July 2026
  • Their father dismounted, went down on foot, climbed the fence his son had crawled under.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of crawl
Noun
  • The poison of vipers is on their lips—and yet stop.
    — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
  • Dangerous reptiles like cobras, mambas, vipers, anacondas and rattlesnakes are all banned from private ownership.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of viper
Noun
  • For instance, there are glazed pork belly chunks served on crispy tostones, tuna tataki with a jerk-spice rub, and a bright, citrusy conch salad.
    — Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2026
  • Learn how to cook lionfish ceviche, jerk chicken, and more with a group of like-minded people from all over the world, concluding with an alfresco feast—a true one-of-a-kind connection between strangers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 June 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Butch standing there in his plaid pajamas, sneaking sugar cubes to Rambler and Snowy.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • When grounders sneaked through the infield, his body language was uneventful.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of sneak

Phrases Containing snake

Browse Nearby Words

snails
snake
snakebit
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Cite this Entry

“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snake. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snake

Nglish: Translation of snake for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snake

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