as in to bark
to speak sharply or irritably
she snarled at me after I kept badgering her with questions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to knot
to twist together into a usually confused mass
you'll be awfully sorry if you snarl your fishing line
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement
to no avail, the city promotes carpooling to help ease the traffic snarls that always accompany rush hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 snarl
Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Car buyers may face elevated prices and a shortage of some vehicles due to a supply chain snarled by tariffs and challenges accessing crucial materials, some industry experts told ABC News.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
Some state laws also prevent pharmacists from administering vaccines that haven’t been recommended by ACIP—a snarl that’s prompted pharmacies to limit access to COVID vaccines in more than a dozen states.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snarl
Verb
The shutdown ended after 10 air traffic controllers stayed home, snarling air traffic – though TSA staffing shortages at some of the nation’s largest airports were also a contributing factor.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Car buyers may face elevated prices and a shortage of some vehicles due to a supply chain snarled by tariffs and challenges accessing crucial materials, some industry experts told ABC News.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
The large crowds are expected to help create, and face, traffic snarls Saturday, as the University of Louisville's football team plays at noon at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium and Churchill Downs hosts races at the track — all within blocks of each other.
—Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
Some state laws also prevent pharmacists from administering vaccines that haven’t been recommended by ACIP—a snarl that’s prompted pharmacies to limit access to COVID vaccines in more than a dozen states.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snarl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snarl
Noun
-
Toronto had the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, but Ohtani and the Dodgers were able to get out of the jam.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The berries, which birds also love, can be eaten fresh or made into jams and jellies.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As a result, only about 300 children were let into the neighborhood and there was barely any trash or congestion.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
-
Also, real-world performance can vary based on congestion in cable networks, and peak-time slowdowns are more likely than in pure fiber networks.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Snarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snarl. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share