as in blunders
somewhat informal
a problem that makes a situation difficult or confusing
A major scheduling snafu led to two meetings starting at the same time.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 snafus
United are now clever enough to use the second half of matches to avoid any snafus a slow first half put them in.
—
Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Amid communication snafus, some residents were incorrectly told their lights were back on.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
That’s the best way to avoid any snafus.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
With individuals driving their own cars in a tunnel, the potential for accidents and other snafus would likely increase and raise the risk of a severe backlog in a single-lane tunnel.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
While mistakes are rare across the royal family's social media channels, snafus still happen.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Travel insurance policies offer a financial backstop to buyers for various unforeseen snafus, like having to pay for medical care abroad or for a hotel room after a flight delay or cancellation.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Pro tip Tack on a night at the Balmoral prior to the trip to avoid any travel snafus scuttling your voyage, and perhaps a few more on the back end to allow proper time to reacclimate.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
Your typical tech snafus are on the scene with Mercury retrograding into Scorpio.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Amid communication snafus, some residents were incorrectly told their lights were back on.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
That’s the best way to avoid any snafus.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
With individuals driving their own cars in a tunnel, the potential for accidents and other snafus would likely increase and raise the risk of a severe backlog in a single-lane tunnel.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
While mistakes are rare across the royal family's social media channels, snafus still happen.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Travel insurance policies offer a financial backstop to buyers for various unforeseen snafus, like having to pay for medical care abroad or for a hotel room after a flight delay or cancellation.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Pro tip Tack on a night at the Balmoral prior to the trip to avoid any travel snafus scuttling your voyage, and perhaps a few more on the back end to allow proper time to reacclimate.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
Your typical tech snafus are on the scene with Mercury retrograding into Scorpio.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snafus
Noun
-
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
-
While the Raptors have still been good in clutch situations — when the scoring margin is within five in the final five minutes of a game — that sample has included some notable blunders.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Last week, Bay Hill punished mistakes with force.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
However, before planting your favorite blooms in these vessels, there are a few common mistakes to be aware of.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
No man’s land Remarkably, all of this has been happening in a regulatory vacuum and with technology that is known to make errors.—
Parmy Olson,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Documents released since December have included redaction errors, leaked victim identities, and ongoing complaints of mishandling by department officials.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snafus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snafus. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
