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
Interplanting marigolds with celery helps repel slugs, snails, and thrips, thereby maintaining crisp celery stalks. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026 Our party waited 10 minutes to be seated and was served wine shortly thereafter, but the food came out at a snail’s pace. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 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
  • Toads help control snails, slugs, caterpillars, and other invertebrates—pests that have the potential to harm your garden plants, says Amarello.
    Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 6 May 2026
  • Similarly, slugs and snails are less likely to travel across jagged surfaces, which can make pine cones a helpful barrier around vulnerable plants like lettuce or hostas.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.
    Big Think, Big Think, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Overgrown Plants Along with mulch and other organic material, failing to keep up with your yard maintenance can attract these tiny critter-crawlers too.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The fuzzy-looking crawlers can cause irritation and a rash to anyone whose skin comes in direct contact with the barbed hairs that cover the caterpillar.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • After losing her friend Yo, Anna spends a decade obsessively building a detailed one-third-scale replica of her house — just large enough to crawl inside — where a puppet version of Yo still lives.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
  • Ahmed Moustafa, who operates a halal cart near Yankee Stadium, is still crawling out from the pandemic.
    Yuna Kim, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Instead, the problem is that these slowpokes haven’t been nearly as efficient.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Win it, and suddenly the series tightens, the doubt creeps in and the path gets a lot more complicated for Orlando.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
  • For another easy-to-care-for choice that relishes sunlight, look to creeping juniper and its beautifully hazy blue-green leaves.
    Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Nakamura designs for lingerers.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When Andrei Vasilevskiy tried to poke the puck away, Bolduc had moved so deep into the crease area that the puck went off him and into the net for his first career playoff goal.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The host also poked fun at the Trumps’ living separately despite being married for 22 years.
    Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snail. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on snail

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