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
And a collection of industry opt-out items helps with tasks from reducing snail-mail spam to blurring your house on Google Street View. Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026 Chitons belong to the class Polyplacophora, a group of marine mollusks — distant relatives of snails, clams, and octopuses — distinguished by a series of overlapping shell plates running down their backs. Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 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
  • The institute and federal ocean officials say those appendages, called cerata, hold the stinging cells in a concentrated form, making the slug’s sting especially potent.
    Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Among its many benefits, diatomaceous earth (DE) can control pests as varied as earwigs, caterpillars, ants and aphids, and keep slugs and snails out of garden beds, too.
    Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Petzold dragged his chair a little closer to listen.
    Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
  • O’Brien’s words echoed the taunts that the two had thrown back and forth at each other in an actual Senate hearing that almost ended in a knockdown, drag-out fight.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 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
  • The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
  • On Polymarket’s tab for Bitcoin, a line graph crawls along like a seismograph, showing the price to beat as the total cost fluctuates by hundreds of dollars a second.
    Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18, Futurism, 18 Mar. 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
  • There has been the odd mistake as fatigue has crept in, but amid the angst and difficulties of Newcastle’s other, expensive summer signings, the 24-year-old Germany international has settled quickly.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Rothrock made a couple touches and, as goalkeeper Daniel crept off his line, slipped a shot past defender Reid Roberts and inside the near post.
    Mercury News, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Kellner pokes a ball into the soft spot in left-center, scoring two runs.
    Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Many spectators poked fun at the efforts of Chicago police to confiscate and collect BORGs in viral posts over the weekend.
    Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • And yet the Democrat is bumping along near the bottom, a blip in polls and a laggard in the money chase.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • And yet the Democrat is bumping along near the bottom, a blip in polls and a laggard in the money chase.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Snail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snail. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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