snake 1 of 2

noun

ˈsnāk How to pronounce snake (audio)
Definition of snakenext
1
as in serpent
a limbless reptile with a long body snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade

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2
as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others why, that dirty, rotten snake!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance what a snake she was—having an affair with my husband while I was in the hospital!

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snake

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner snaking softly through the brush

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2
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground commandos snaking through the grass toward the house

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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 snake
Noun
Medusa is raped by Poseidon, but because Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple, Athena takes it as an affront and blames Medusa, cursing her by turning her hair into snakes. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 27 July 2026 The deadliest animal to have ever roamed the earth is not the great white shark, or snakes, or even rats that caused three great plagues in history, decimating the human population at the time. — New Atlas, 26 July 2026
Verb
Butter & Cream A certain national chain may be just around the corner in Decatur, but that doesn’t stop lines from snaking out the door at Butter & Cream. — Lia Picard, AJC.com, 22 July 2026 Some of the rest were stuck in water-bottle refill lines, concurrent queues snaking behind small drinking fountains that created a bottleneck of sweaty humanity around the corners of the new stadium. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for snake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snake
  1. serpent
  2. dog
  3. traitor
  4. lurk
  5. crawl
  6. viper
  7. jerk
  8. sneak
Noun
  • Staff at the publication viewed video that showed water streaming into a gallery containing WangShui’s oppose the serpent, 2024, an ink-on-aluminum work of heroic proportions.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 20 July 2026
  • According to the ancient Greeks, a mighty serpent called Ophion incubated an enormous egg that hatched into the universe and all its inhabitants.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of serpent
Noun
  • Both Shapiro and Graziano kept their original Instagram handles and changed the names to add their current dogs.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Seeing your pup happily playing in the backyard or snoozing on the couch can provide reassurance for you without creating confusion for your dog.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • His tenure was upended by the arrest of Aldrich Ames, a CIA traitor.
    — Bob Drogin, Washington Post, 22 July 2026
  • In reality, the big debate has been about questions such as whether military bases should be named for traitors and whether governments should host monuments to a rebellion to defend slavery.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of traitor
Verb
  • The Sixers now lurk as arguably the biggest threat in the East to the Knicks' chances of defending their title.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • But amid the crooning local singers and walks down memory lane, trouble lurks.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Not everyone’s job includes crawling 150 feet through a spillway pipe 20 feet beneath a lake.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • Markets do not hold still for a year and a half while your deal crawls through due diligence.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of crawl
Noun
  • Hassabis, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2024 for pioneering the use of AI in protein prediction, is based in London and has largely avoided the viper pit created by the bare-knuckle AI race playing out in Silicon Valley.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
  • During his famous trials, Hercules encountered Echidna, who was half maiden and half viper.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of viper
Noun
  • Cayman’s restaurant culture is shaped by the more than 130 different nationalities found on the islands, from traditional jerk chicken joints to fine dining establishments.
    — Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026
  • The desire to make fresh New York rap that isn’t indebted to drill, or chasing broader Gen-Z hip-hop trends such as jerk and rage rap, sometimes leads to experiments that don’t land anywhere.
    — Lei Takanashi, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Homer would likely be easier to sneak through to the practice squad and then elevate on game days.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Nick, Schmidt, Coach and Winston manage to sneak into the mansion, with Nick desperately trying to make things right with Jess, who is now fully freaking out.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of sneak

Phrases Containing snake

Browse Nearby Words

snails
snake
snakebit
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Cite this Entry

“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snake. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snake

Nglish: Translation of snake for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snake

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