snarls 1 of 3

plural of snarl
as in jams
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

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snarls

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of snarl

snarls

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of snarl

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 snarls
Noun
This year’s Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer with closures, travel snarls and record gas prices in California. Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026 The wildly popular Instagram page was offline for a hot minute, leaving the general pop pining for videos on the myriad zany happenings in our city, from traffic snarls and celebrity shenanigans to animal encounters and fights outside the club. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to install temporary three-way stop signs at the intersections during a road project that’s already created mind-numbing traffic snarls and angry and confused drivers. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026 Drivers should brace for traffic snarls this summer when South Elgin’s State Street bridge over the Fox River is reduced to one lane for road resurfacing work. Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026 Attendees on Sunday reported traffic snarls in all directions. Cindi Andrews, IndyStar, 25 May 2026 Travel industry leaders and major airlines warn the proposal would devastate tourism, choke international cargo and create massive operational snarls. Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026 And when jet lag snarls your normal rest pattern, the window views and a cup of traditional Chinese tea awaiting each guest’s arrival become a pleasant distraction. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026 Locals going to the matches are advised to use public transportation if possible, not only to avoid paying for parking but also to avoid traffic snarls around the stadium. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Verb
Day to day, as the city grows, there’s also the question of traffic, which snarls the city as public transit initiatives have repeatedly struggled. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026 Security snarls The TSA PreCheck line at terminal B in LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, on March 27, 2026. Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026 Beyond the red tape that snarls any new apartment, condominiums confront an additional hurdle. M. Nolan Gray, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snarls
Noun
  • If the party gets a little too wild, and someone knocks the jams into the drink, don't worry.
    Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
  • From late May through early September, weekly music jams with fiddles and banjos celebrate the area’s musical heritage.
    Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Tight end Trey McBride said Brissett barks at the defense after making a big play, particularly at star safety Budda Baker, which spikes practice competitiveness.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Linnetz’s rambunctious wire-haired Viszla mix, Einstein, barks at what is unbeknownst to him one of the most legendary skateboards of all time.
    Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • No matter how many knots a lawyer ties themselves in to get there, legality is not legitimacy.
    Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
  • Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • O’Kane shouts when Tom Brokaw announces that one of the men suspected of plotting the attack has been detained.
    Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • So here's the part where DC's comic book logic tangles itself into knots.
    Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But consent decrees are legally and politically complicated, and the treatment of migrant children further tangles the situation.
    Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • The film focused on a young Black reenactor at a historical slave plantation museum in the Midwest who yells at tourists and fights with the town’s racist mayor — played by Parker — was reportedly slated to go into production in the summer of 2024.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The officer points a flashlight inside the back window, yells toward another officer nearby, then gets on his radio.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Standing in the backyard of a house situated near a neighboring golf course, rider screams are certainly audible, and residents said the consistency of them is destroying their quality of life.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • There were hugs and high fives, and jubilant screams from a winning locker room could be heard clearly in the adjacent news conference room and by anyone walking through the hallway.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Snarls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snarls. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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