snail 1 of 2

Definition of snailnext

snail

2 of 2

verb

as in to drag
to move slowly the highway construction work created a bottleneck that had cars snailing for the next five miles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 snail
Noun
Now, prolonged dry conditions are killing off those invasive snails as well, leaving the kites with little to eat and sending their numbers down again. Sofia Baltodano, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026 Even when Kok and Leerdam were warming up, gliding by at a snail’s pace compared to skaters during their race, the crowd cheered, the skating stars in acknowledgement. Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
Could snail slime and salmon sperm be the next big things in skincare? Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2024 What can snail mucin do for your skin? Lacey Muinos, Health, 13 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for snail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snail
Noun
  • Leafy greens like head and leaf lettuce, spinach, and kale typically have very few pests aside from slugs early in the growing season and require very little input beyond abundant water and nitrogen.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Sometimes, slugs would slime their way from behind the baseboards.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But Coach never agreed to that deal, and once Ozzy got the key on the ground, Coach dragged it over to win supplies.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Software stocks have been caught up in a sell-off that dragged the sector into bear market territory, amid fears AI could make software as a service — or SaaS — obsolete.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This photo shows off the staggering scale of SLS, the VAB, and the crawler-transporter vehicle that hauls the rocket to and from the launch pad.
    Brett Tingley, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Scales can be treated with horticultural oil applied when the immature (crawler) stage is active.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As the Bay Area slowly — some might say glacially — crawls into spring, there’s nothing better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up.
    Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • To want to crawl out of your own body because your brain betrayed you?
    Peter White, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Much of the drama is undermined by the odd choice to have the characters explain exactly what is happening (presumably for the slowpokes in the back).
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Just up ahead, a slowpoke chugging along in the left lane.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Martha felt a creeping boredom in the long hours when nothing at all happened.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Now, incidents like these occur far too frequently for some, who believe vagrancy and crime from surrounding neighborhoods is beginning to creep into Wedgwood Square.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As Luna in your financial quadrant pokes the Sun in your friendship zone, money boundaries and group expectations likely tug in different directions.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Galloway pokes a single to left field.
    Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The iPhone maker has been frequently (and at times unfairly) criticized for being an AI laggard.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Among its biggest projects was converting the former WGN America into NewsNation, which has evolved into a 24/7 cable news network, a ratings laggard still carving out its own niche behind the big three — Fox News, MS NOW and CNN.
    Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snail. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on snail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster