1
: a concealed or unexpected difficulty or obstacle
2
a
: an irregularity that suggests the result of tearing
especially
: a pulled thread in fabric
a snag in her stocking
b
: a jagged tear made by or as if by catching on a snag
3
: a rough sharp or jagged projecting part : protuberance: such as
a
: a projecting tooth
also
: a stump of a tooth
b
: one of the secondary branches of an antler
4
a
: a standing dead tree
b
: a tree or branch embedded in a lake or stream bed and constituting a hazard to navigation
snagged; snagging
1
a
: to catch and usually damage on or as if on a snag
b
: to halt or impede as if by catching on a snag
2
: to catch or obtain usually by quick action or good fortune
3
: to hew, trim, or cut roughly or jaggedly
4
: to clear (something, such as a river) of snags
Synonyms
Examples of snag in a Sentence
Noun
I caught my sleeve on a snag and tore it.
My sweater has a snag where I caught it on a nail.
Verb
I snagged my favorite sweater on a nail.
The shortstop snagged the grounder.
The police snagged the suspect as he was trying to run away.
I managed to snag the information I needed from the Internet.
Can I snag a ride from you?
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
But there have been snags, such as the MLS bid that fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024
The small snag is, everyone else gets the same idea, and during peak seasons, carving out a spot on the shore to set out our picnic or recline with our beach read can feel like an impossible feat of engineering.
—Anya Meyerowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Supply chains snags then were so bad that more than 100 container ships were idling outside the Port of Los Angeles, waiting for a berth to unload.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The one possible snag is the degree to which the Apple Cup rivalry could create internal friction.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
And students seemed not too bothered by the snags on Saturday.
—Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
The pharmaceutical industry’s all-out attack on President Biden’s drug negotiation initiative for Medicare — comprising nine federal lawsuits (so far) and lots of heavy breathing by lobbyists — has just run into a major snag.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
The snag threatens the spacecraft's ability to land on the moon.
—Spencer Elliott, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
By snagging it, Cordero-Stutz’s rivals now must seek donors and public backers who are willing to pick a different candidate than Trump for a high-profile local race.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
The 31-track double album snagged the honor from the previous record-holder, Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter, which ultimately earned 300.41 million on-demand official streams in its first full week of release.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2024
Here's how to get started and snag free supplies
Visit public lands and remove invasive plants
Weed Wrangles are a nationwide effort to remove invasive plant species from state and local parks.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Here’s how to spot the Jupiter-Uranus hangout on the evening of April 20, plus tips for snagging the best planet view.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Neto raced toward the bag and snagged it, then flung himself to slap his glove on the base before the runner could get back, for an inning-ending double play.
—Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024
If your thumb is more brown than green, check out your local farmers market or peach orchard to snag some delicious peaches.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
However, those lucky enough to have snagged a spot—starting at £100, or roughly $125—are in for a rare treat.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
The palm is dipped in a nitrile coating to provide resistance to snags, cuts, and abrasions.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
But there have been snags, such as the MLS bid that fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024
The small snag is, everyone else gets the same idea, and during peak seasons, carving out a spot on the shore to set out our picnic or recline with our beach read can feel like an impossible feat of engineering.
—Anya Meyerowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Supply chains snags then were so bad that more than 100 container ships were idling outside the Port of Los Angeles, waiting for a berth to unload.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The one possible snag is the degree to which the Apple Cup rivalry could create internal friction.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
And students seemed not too bothered by the snags on Saturday.
—Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
The pharmaceutical industry’s all-out attack on President Biden’s drug negotiation initiative for Medicare — comprising nine federal lawsuits (so far) and lots of heavy breathing by lobbyists — has just run into a major snag.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
The snag threatens the spacecraft's ability to land on the moon.
—Spencer Elliott, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
Verb
This has been a big year for Monét, who attended her first-ever Grammy Awards in February and snagged three wins.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
By snagging it, Cordero-Stutz’s rivals now must seek donors and public backers who are willing to pick a different candidate than Trump for a high-profile local race.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
The 31-track double album snagged the honor from the previous record-holder, Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter, which ultimately earned 300.41 million on-demand official streams in its first full week of release.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2024
Here's how to get started and snag free supplies
Visit public lands and remove invasive plants
Weed Wrangles are a nationwide effort to remove invasive plant species from state and local parks.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Here’s how to spot the Jupiter-Uranus hangout on the evening of April 20, plus tips for snagging the best planet view.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Neto raced toward the bag and snagged it, then flung himself to slap his glove on the base before the runner could get back, for an inning-ending double play.
—Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024
If your thumb is more brown than green, check out your local farmers market or peach orchard to snag some delicious peaches.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
However, those lucky enough to have snagged a spot—starting at £100, or roughly $125—are in for a rare treat.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to snag
Dictionary Entries Near snag
Cite this Entry
“Snag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snag. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snag
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a tree or branch when stuck underwater and not visible from the surface
b
: a standing dead tree
2
: an uneven or broken part sticking out from a smooth surface
caught my sweater on a snag
3
: a concealed or unexpected difficulty
our plans hit a snag
snag
2 of 2 verb
snagged; snagging
: to catch on or as if on a snag
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