SNAILS Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

snails 1 of 2

noun

plural of snail

as in slugs

someone who moves slowly or more slowly than others go and tell the snails in the back to hurry up

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snails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of snail

as in crawls

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

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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 snails

Noun

And at Mugler, the mood was set before the first look appeared, with screens beaming erotic footage that included mating snails, sweaty skin, a woman’s tongue and two people kissing. — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 The inflatable horses, butterflies, snails and other creatures were made by the New York artist and designer Katie Stout. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 Aquarium officials received some 500 marine animals from that operation on June 19, taking in an array of fish, sharks, clams, shrimp, prawns and tiny snails. — John Donegan Long Beach Post, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026 Zebra sharks tend to rest on reef floors, regulating bottom-dwelling prey such as snails, clams, crabs, shrimp and small fish, an important part of maintaining thriving ecosystems. — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 That includes September’s Aloha Festivals celebrating Hawaiian traditions and the annual Kāhuli Festival at the Bishop Museum in October, a unique family-friendly event spotlighting the vital role of Hawaiian land snails in preserving biodiversity. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Scientists rescued 34 endangered humped tree snails from Guam by collecting them in empty peanut butter jars ahead of a powerful typhoon. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 She and her hundreds of pet snails are visited by a young man named Edward Ridgeway (Alden Ehrenreich) who has been sent by her American publisher to convince her to sign a contract to write one more Ripley novel. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 At Carter Lake, boat inspection checkpoints are now looking for the snails in addition to other invasive species, such as zebra mussels. — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for snails

Noun

These beneficial predators spend the winter under leaves, emerging in spring to feed on common garden pests such as aphids, slugs and mites.

— Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Families can learn about slugs, spiders, vultures and more during Creepy Critters Month at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Road, a park district news release said.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of slugs

Verb

There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawls

Noun

The daffodils here were almost finished, apart from one little patch of stragglers still flowering on heroically against the odds.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Swarms or stragglers are most likely to be spotted near the Great Lakes shorelines because the lakes help funnel their routes.

— Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of stragglers

Verb

At the very least, Cathy said in her December affidavit, the couple shouldn’t be living there for free as litigation drags on.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Ukraine always has been outmanned by Russia, but as the war drags through its fifth year, the need for personnel is increasingly acute, commanders and analysts say, with some units at only half strength.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of drags

Noun

The crawlers wander about the plants for a short period of time and then begin to feed and create a waxy covering.

— Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Giant sectionals gave space for everyone to sit in the first floor living room, with plenty of floor space for crawlers and new walkers to safely explore.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of crawlers

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snail-paced

snails

snake

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“Snails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snails. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of snails

noun

verb

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