snag

1 of 2

noun

ˈsnag 

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

snaggy

ˈsna-gē 

adjective

snag

2 of 2

verb

snagged; snagging

transitive verb

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

Noun

• booby trap
• catch
• catch-22
• gimmick
• gotcha
• hitch
• joker
• land mine
• pitfall

Verb

• bag
• capture
• catch
• collar
• cop [slang]
• corral
• get
• glom
• grab
• grapple
• hook
• land
• nab
• nail
• net
• nobble [British slang]
• rap
• seize
• snap (up)
• snare
• snatch
• trap

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

Noun

Getting everyone into the same room at the same time can also act as a sharpening tool for decision-making, as information imbalances are smoothed out and routine snags and inefficiencies (such as delays in email response) can be neatly resolved in a two-minute conversation. —Koray Köse, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

The device removal tactic would have run into another big snag when the arrests in France took place: One of the suspects had nothing on the table at all. —Ben Dowsett, WIRED, 10 Dec. 2024

Verb

This was the higher of the concentrations available at that location—a friend who was traveling with me snagged three tubes of 0.01 percent Acretin for $12 each. —Jasmine Browley, Allure, 13 Dec. 2024

To prevent such a mishap, snag one of these Loveledi portable power banks as a stocking stuffer. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse snagi clothes peg

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1587, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Verb

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing snag

• hit a snag

Kids Definition

snag

1 of 2 noun

ˈsnag 

1

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