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
Without the proper tools on site, animal services had to take it back to the shelter and flood the helmet to flush the snake out. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Several dogs were bitten by rattlesnakes in a Westminster open space over the weekend as hot summer weather drove both residents and snakes outside, city officials said. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
Here, too, there were echoes of Keegan’s blissful early days, when queues snaked outside the stadium hours before kick-off and every victory felt like alchemy. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026 The new district snakes up through Kansas City’s urban core, in an attempt to create a district more favorable for Republicans in the 5th District. — Jack Harvel july 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 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
  • Just as looking upon the serpent brought healing to the Israelites, faith in the Son of Man brings salvation to anyone.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In Roman art, invidia is sometimes depicted as a gaunt Medusa-like figure with serpents for hair.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of serpent
Noun
  • But much of the program dispensed with speed to explore the other skills of the dogs — and their owners.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Pets are welcome—two dogs per room, no weight limit, $100 each—so even your furry friends can enjoy the mountain air.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • Rinna, a fellow traitor and the person who helped Rausch secure the bag, had similarly been crossed by him, twice.
    — The Deadline Team, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • His tenure was upended by the arrest of Aldrich Ames, a CIA traitor.
    — Bob Drogin, Washington Post, 22 July 2026
Definition of traitor
Verb
  • Sub hunting goes on all the time, usually to keep crews in practice as well as to monitor the locations and capabilities of potentially hostile boats lurking beneath the waves.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe dark oxygen would allow for other multicellular creatures to lurk even deeper in the rock.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • The six-legged hopper, which, at each landing site, will crawl to material undisturbed by its rocket plume, also carries a drill to look for water ice.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Trying to crawl her way towards a spot between her shoulder blades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl
Noun
  • Maumelle Animal Shelter The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that police officers had to pour water into it to force the snake out and into a bag.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Goode needed no persuading about the beauty of animals like New Caledonian geckos, African bush vipers, Caribbean rock iguanas, and similar Cyclura.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of viper
Noun
  • In Show Must Go On, the comedian embraces his own compassion by pretending to be a jerk.
    — Britina Cheng, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • The mini bar—located inside a gorgeous wooden cabinet—was filled with local spirits like pox, a Mayan liquor made of corn, sugar cane, and wheat, and Mayalen Guerrero mezcal in a bottle so beautiful I was tempted to sneak it back in my suitcase.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Wilyer Abreu and Adley Rutschman answered with RBI hits before Gasper's first Red Sox homer sneaked around Pesky's Pole in the seventh and Abreu hit an RBI single.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 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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