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
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
Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
Ian McDiarmid finally gets the chance to take the mask off as the would-be Emperor and reveals the character’s full, snarling villainy.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2025
Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2025
Walker provides a snarl that is otherwise missing from the lineup, despite being 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, and that could pay dividends when the intensity ramps up in the postseason.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snarl
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Verb
Whatever the reason, Musk’s attacks have snarled already tricky talks with GOP senators who are working on their version of the bill.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
Ian McDiarmid finally gets the chance to take the mask off as the would-be Emperor and reveals the character’s full, snarling villainy.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
Europe cannot know in advance whether a refreshed Russia would renew attacks on Ukraine, move forward into Belarus, threaten Poland, or snarl at the Baltics.
—Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2025
Walker provides a snarl that is otherwise missing from the lineup, despite being 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, and that could pay dividends when the intensity ramps up in the postseason.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snarl
Cite this Entry
“Snarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snarl. Accessed 10 Jun. 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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