1
as in serpents
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
why, that dirty, rotten snake!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traitors
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!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of snakes
Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Still, there’s a sense that the story has expanded to fill the space, with plotlines for all and crazy side trips (snakes!
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Venomous snakes in Tennessee typically prefer to avoid humans and will not bite unless provoked.
—Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 June 2026
Snow, rain, heat, and snakes were constant companions.
—Christina Ray Stanton, Time, 2 June 2026
The wranglers relocate snakes from residences to more appropriate habitat and educate the public about their habits and behavior.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
As North Carolinians bask in warm weather, so too do our state’s snakes, raising the likelihood of bites.
—Eva Flowe
june 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The plaster, cave-like living room (complete with a cozy fireplace) served as a backdrop for trivia night; the ice-cold creek, which snakes along the five-acre property, was our personal swimming spot to chase off the heat of the day.
—Aemilia Madden, Vogue, 27 May 2026
Valdez is the surprising leader in the district that snakes through northern Brooklyn and western Queens, including some of the most progressive neighborhoods in the entire nation.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Another car snakes down the road.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Londoners won’t queue for just anything, but the coffee and pastries at Jolene are well worth joining the line that often snakes around the corner.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
To accommodate the mass of passengers, the line snakes through baggage claim and around the terminal.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
White pans over to the eaves and snaps a photo, where a couple of snakes are seen, quite literally hanging out.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Still, there’s a sense that the story has expanded to fill the space, with plotlines for all and crazy side trips (snakes!
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Venomous snakes in Tennessee typically prefer to avoid humans and will not bite unless provoked.
—Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 June 2026
Snow, rain, heat, and snakes were constant companions.
—Christina Ray Stanton, Time, 2 June 2026
The wranglers relocate snakes from residences to more appropriate habitat and educate the public about their habits and behavior.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
As North Carolinians bask in warm weather, so too do our state’s snakes, raising the likelihood of bites.
—Eva Flowe
june 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
Verb
The River Caqueta snakes nearly 1,800 miles into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The plaster, cave-like living room (complete with a cozy fireplace) served as a backdrop for trivia night; the ice-cold creek, which snakes along the five-acre property, was our personal swimming spot to chase off the heat of the day.
—Aemilia Madden, Vogue, 27 May 2026
Valdez is the surprising leader in the district that snakes through northern Brooklyn and western Queens, including some of the most progressive neighborhoods in the entire nation.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Another car snakes down the road.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Londoners won’t queue for just anything, but the coffee and pastries at Jolene are well worth joining the line that often snakes around the corner.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
To accommodate the mass of passengers, the line snakes through baggage claim and around the terminal.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snakes
Noun
-
Those serpents include six rattlesnake species and non-rattlers, such as the Copperhead, Water Moccasin (or Cottonmouth) and Eastern Coral snakes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Art of the Pet package really rolls out the red carpet for dogs at this dog-only property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Thousands of mail carriers across the United States were attacked by dogs in 2025, with Los Angeles topping the list for most attacks, according to a new report from the United States Postal Service.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
When news of Israel’s secret outposts in Iraq’s desert emerged, Iraqis admonished their leaders as traitors, and the boisterous militiamen affiliated with the government as impostors for allowing their land to be colonized by an enemy.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
-
The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What starts as a mystery becomes an existential horror film, a harrowing journey into a landscape in which death lurks around every corner.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
-
But the most worrisome aspect of any collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda is the supermassive black hole that lurks at the center of each.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
This is where over-reliance creeps in.—
Gregory Lipich,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Hesitation creeps in, options narrow and teams begin playing within themselves.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Dangerous reptiles like cobras, mambas, vipers, anacondas and rattlesnakes are all banned from private ownership.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The animal enthusiast has since fished vipers from beneath houses, underneath baby cribs, the inside of dry wall, the back of a refrigerator, a fire department, a Safeway and scores of other spots.—
Kurtis Alexander,
San Francisco Chronicle,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fans are less tame, however, when Mamdani sneaks into the bar through a side entrance with New York City’s First Lady, Rama Duwaji.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
This bucket crossbody bag satisfies both in a minimalist silhouette, which sneaks in luxurious details like nappa leather trims, protective metal feet, and a secure zipper top closure.—
Olivia Cigliano,
InStyle,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
Critics on the Croisette are starting to resemble that classic comic-strip panel in which an explorer crawls desperately across the sand toward an oasis that’s only a mirage.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snakes. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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