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
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Listen to this article TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
His inclusion here indicates strong support across the board for A Complete Unknown, which snagged eight nominations, including best picture.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for snag 
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Noun
Barring a last-minute snag, the #Lions OC lands with an NFC North rival.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Listen to this article TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
The famously genial atmosphere of White’s sets is one reason why so many top stars wanted to snag a role—though perhaps not the main one.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
His inclusion here indicates strong support across the board for A Complete Unknown, which snagged eight nominations, including best picture.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for snag
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 27 Jan. 2025.
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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