as in to bark
to speak sharply or irritably
she snarled at me after I kept badgering her with questions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of snarl
Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Charlotte-area communities got 6 to 12 inches of snow over the weekend, closing schools, snarling traffic and shutting down public transit.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
And, two, worldwide supply chain snarls also stemming from the pandemic.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for snarl
Verb
The closures come as part of the yearslong overhaul of the interstate through the heart of the city, a project that is expected to snarl traffic and disrupt lakeside recreation through at least 2033.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Charlotte-area communities got 6 to 12 inches of snow over the weekend, closing schools, snarling traffic and shutting down public transit.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
Zohran Mamdani’s genial grin would have seemed unsustainably mild in the angry eighties, when Koch’s sarcasm fenced with Giuliani’s snarl, occasionally relieved by Mario Cuomo’s solemnity.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
And, two, worldwide supply chain snarls also stemming from the pandemic.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for snarl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snarl
Noun
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Drawing from much more than the caustic hardcore the group have made their name on, Man Bites Dog throws jock jams, late-aughts electro-pop, and industrial into a huge Margaritaville-sized blender.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Best Way To Store Opened Jam While unopened jars of jam can be safely stored in a cool, dry cupboard or pantry, opened jars should always be refrigerated.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While traffic congestion may make I-10 seem far away, the interstate passes as close to Austin as Seguin — only about 45 miles south of the city.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
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This would ease traffic congestion, increase foot traffic for local businesses and provide more opportunities for neighbors to see each other face to face and not just from behind a windshield.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snarl. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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