What does "snarl" mean?
A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.
Snarl
/ˈsnɑː(ɹ)l/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.
- Grammar: snarl is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: tangle, allure, altercation, argument.
- Useful contrasts: calm, clarity, clear roads.
- Usage evidence: Eighty percent of Tom's vocabulary consists of snarl words like "social justice warrior" and "triggered."
How to use "snarl"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "snarl" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "snarl" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "snarl" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "snarl" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "snarl" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tangle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "snarl", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.
- 2 The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
- 3 something jumbled or confused wordnet
- 4 An intricate complication; a problematic difficulty; a knotty or tangled situation.
- 5 A growl, for example that of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 an angry vicious expression wordnet
- 7 A slow-moving traffic jam.
"The biggest cities feel the most acute impact of the last mile – of the squads of trucks and vans, the parcel hubs and sorting centres, the parking snarls and the discarded boxes."
- 8 A squabble.
- 9 a vicious angry growl wordnet
Verb
- 1 To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots. transitive
"to snarl a skein of thread"
- 2 To growl angrily by gnashing or baring the teeth; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds. intransitive
- 3 make more complicated or confused through entanglements wordnet
- 4 To become entangled. intransitive
- 5 To complain angrily; to utter growlingly. transitive
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone wordnet
- 7 To place in an embarrassing situation; to ensnare; to make overly complicated. transitive
"November 9, 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stanford [the] question that they would have snarled him with"
- 8 To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms. intransitive
"It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted."
- 9 make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise wordnet
- 10 To be congested in traffic, or to make traffic congested. intransitive, transitive
- 11 twist together or entwine into a confusing mass wordnet
- 12 To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface; to repoussé
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Eighty percent of Tom's vocabulary consists of snarl words like "social justice warrior" and "triggered.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "snarl"?
Common synonyms include: tangle, allure, altercation, argument, ataxia, bait the hook.
How do you use "snarl" in a sentence?
Eighty percent of Tom's vocabulary consists of snarl words like "social justice warrior" and "triggered."
How do you pronounce "snarl"?
Pronounced /ˈsnɑː(ɹ)l/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English snarlen, frequentative of snaren (“to trap, tangle”). Equivalent to snare + -le.
Etymology 2
Frequentative of earlier snar (“to growl”), perhaps from Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), of probably imitative origin. Equivalent to snar + -le. Related to German schnarren (“to rattle”) and schnurren (“to hum, buzz”).