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?
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Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 8 Nov. 2023
Typical homomorphic encryption strategies would hit the same snag as private information retrieval, plodding through all the internet’s contents for every search.
—Madison Goldberg, Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023
General Motors’ plan to make more electric trucks has run into another snag.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2023
But experts have warned that many qualified people are at risk of getting booted, including millions of children, because of issues like paperwork snags or if their families relocated during the last few years.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023
Higher energy and food costs triggered by the Ukraine war, coupled with Covid-era supply-chain snags, are bringing a surprise end to the long, bleak era of Japanification.
—Miho Inada and Peter Landers, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
Though the repeal effort has since run into legal snags, Waters managed the feat in just two months.
—Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023
Jakob Robinson with the one-handed snag for his second interception of the game 👏
(via @BYUfootball) pic.twitter.com/pyd2eRvkU8
— Ensign Gridiron (@EnsignGridiron) September 3, 2023
Robinson’s two interceptions were the difference in BYU’s 14-0 win over Sam Houston.
—Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023
While there are a few snags, the weave of the fabric easily hides them.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2023
Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2023
Plank Today, Plank is offering 30 percent off sitewide, which means shoppers can snag the new Plank Firm Natural mattress.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023
So once again, Hynes hasn’t had to wait long to snag another top job.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Lego fans can save half off on Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child kit and a large box of Lego bricks that’s 46% off, while those with kids who love pretend play can snag a Melissa & Doug Metal Toy Shopping Cart for 51% off.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 27 Nov. 2023
And that makes snagging one of these devices for less an even sweeter deal.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 26 Nov. 2023
The day after Thanksgiving is still one of the best days of the year to snag discounts, even though retailers have stretched what used to be a one-day dash into a months-long marathon.
—Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
But the Magnificent Jewels sale isn’t the only opportunity for collectors to snag impressive stones.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2023
The zipper feels well-made and durable and never snagged on the clothes inside.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
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Noun
Most tangles and snags that occur on these trips are a result of someone simply not paying attention to what their line is doing or where their rod is pointed.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 8 Nov. 2023
Typical homomorphic encryption strategies would hit the same snag as private information retrieval, plodding through all the internet’s contents for every search.
—Madison Goldberg, Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023
General Motors’ plan to make more electric trucks has run into another snag.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2023
But experts have warned that many qualified people are at risk of getting booted, including millions of children, because of issues like paperwork snags or if their families relocated during the last few years.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023
Higher energy and food costs triggered by the Ukraine war, coupled with Covid-era supply-chain snags, are bringing a surprise end to the long, bleak era of Japanification.
—Miho Inada and Peter Landers, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
Though the repeal effort has since run into legal snags, Waters managed the feat in just two months.
—Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023
Jakob Robinson with the one-handed snag for his second interception of the game 👏
(via @BYUfootball) pic.twitter.com/pyd2eRvkU8
— Ensign Gridiron (@EnsignGridiron) September 3, 2023
Robinson’s two interceptions were the difference in BYU’s 14-0 win over Sam Houston.
—Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023
While there are a few snags, the weave of the fabric easily hides them.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2023
Verb
Or, snag a pair of Adidas Women's Cloudfoam Sneakers for just $46.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2023
Plank Today, Plank is offering 30 percent off sitewide, which means shoppers can snag the new Plank Firm Natural mattress.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023
So once again, Hynes hasn’t had to wait long to snag another top job.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Lego fans can save half off on Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child kit and a large box of Lego bricks that’s 46% off, while those with kids who love pretend play can snag a Melissa & Doug Metal Toy Shopping Cart for 51% off.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 27 Nov. 2023
And that makes snagging one of these devices for less an even sweeter deal.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 26 Nov. 2023
The day after Thanksgiving is still one of the best days of the year to snag discounts, even though retailers have stretched what used to be a one-day dash into a months-long marathon.
—Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
But the Magnificent Jewels sale isn’t the only opportunity for collectors to snag impressive stones.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2023
The zipper feels well-made and durable and never snagged on the clothes inside.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
See More
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.
Word History
Phrases Containing snag
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 11 Dec. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on snag
Nglish: Translation of snag for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of snag for Arabic Speakers
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