snarled; snarling; snarls
1
: to cause to become knotted and intertwined : tangle
2
: to make excessively complicated
: to become snarled
1
: a tangle especially of hairs or thread : knot
2
: a tangled situation
traffic snarls
snarled; snarling; snarls
1
: to growl with a snapping, gnashing, or display of teeth
2
: to give vent to anger in surly language
: to utter or express with a snarl or by snarling
Synonyms
Verb (1)
Noun (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of snarl in a Sentence
Verb (1)
you'll be awfully sorry if you snarl your fishing line
Noun (1)
to no avail, the city promotes carpooling to help ease the traffic snarls that always accompany rush hour
Verb (2)
she snarled at me after I kept badgering her with questions
Recent Examples on the Web
Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
The raging wildfires have forced other event postponements, and snarled film and television productions.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2025
Ashley Bardhan, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2025
In its wake, the storm, which pummeled a swath of the country from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey, has left tens of thousands in the U.S. without power, caused traffic snarls and forced closures of schools and businesses.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for snarl 
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Verb
The black bear slumped headfirst down and out of the tree and hit limply among the snarling dogs.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
The raging wildfires have forced other event postponements, and snarled film and television productions.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
This improvement to sound also makes the restrained snarl of Naked Snake’s voice have an even better bite.
—Ashley Bardhan, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2025
In its wake, the storm, which pummeled a swath of the country from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey, has left tens of thousands in the U.S. without power, caused traffic snarls and forced closures of schools and businesses.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for snarl
Dictionary Entries Near snarl
Cite this Entry
“Snarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snarl. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snarl
1 of 4 noun1
: a tangle especially of hairs or thread : knot
2
: a tangled situation
a traffic snarl
snarl
2 of 4 verb
: to get into a tangle
snarl
3 of 4 verb1
: to growl with a snapping or showing of teeth
2
: to speak in an angry way
3
: to utter with a snarl
snarler
noun
snarl
4 of 4 noun
: an angry growl
Etymology
Noun
Middle English snarle "snare, noose," probably from snarlen "to trap, entangle"
Verb
from obsolete snar "to growl"
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