Synonyms
Verb (1)
Noun (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of snarl in a Sentence
Krystal Hur, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
The container ship that stuck the Key bridge around 1:40 a.m. Tuesday remained snarled in the span’s twisted wreckage, blocking the sole channel that connects the Port of Baltimore to the Atlantic Ocean.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
An estimated 31 million Americans already live on the path, while millions more tourists are already making travel plans – sure to snarl traffic – to catch a glimpse of what is sure to be a spectacular sight, according to eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
Outside, pro-Palestinian protesters calling for a cease-fire snarled traffic ahead of the event.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
The pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the heart of Hollywood snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre, the venue where the show is held, resulting in a late start for the ceremony as A-listers scrambled to make it to their seats.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Increasingly embittered as one by one, his supporters fall by the wayside, Dr. Stockmann snarls back at his opposition with anti-democratic rhetoric.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
For most, a snarling, growling 911 is the only 911 for them.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024
As transit walkouts snarled traffic and sanitation strikes caused trash to pile up in the streets, the protests were ridiculed abroad.
—Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, there’s a risk that the supply chain snarls that triggered inflation in the early days of the pandemic could flare again because of military conflict in the Red Sea, Barclays says.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
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Introduction
Two of these input pleats feed into a complicated snarl of folds called a gadget.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
Ed Clissold, chief U.S. strategist for Ned Davis Research, says companies have been boosting their profit margins recently by reducing shipping costs as supply chain snarls have resolved.
—Paul Davidson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Jan. 2024
En route to the Algarve, the Sport SV’s downsized V-8 still snarls when prodded, packs decisively more punch, yet never draws undue attention to itself.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024
On this new collaboration with Cincinnati rapper Skylar Blatt, Lola doubles down on the menacing snarl that garnered her name recognition.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2023
Supply chain snarls have also eased significantly since they were caused by disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.
—Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 10 Feb. 2024
At the same time, a mob of angry white people snarls, yells obscenities, and hurls glass bottles at them.
—Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snarl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Verb (1)
Middle English, to trap, entangle, probably frequentative of snaren to snare
Noun (1)
Middle English snarle snare, noose, probably from snarlen, verb
Verb (2)
frequentative of obsolete English snar to growl; akin to Middle Low German snorren to drone, rattle
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (1)
1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1589, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1613, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing snarl
Dictionary Entries Near snarl
Cite this Entry
“Snarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snarl. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
snarl
1 of 4 nounsnarl
2 of 4 verbsnarl
3 of 4 verbsnarl
4 of 4 nounNoun
Middle English snarle "snare, noose," probably from snarlen "to trap, entangle"
Verb
from obsolete snar "to growl"
More from Merriam-Webster on snarl
Nglish: Translation of snarl for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of snarl for Arabic Speakers
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